Dress-Up Dolls

by sheilamarie

Dress-up dolls help kids learn how to zip zippers and button buttons. Teaching children hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills lets them feel that "I can do it myself!"

Kids love to learn how to do things themselves. Zipping a zipper, buttoning a shirt, tying their own shoes -- all these skills can be frustrating to learn.

But once mastered, these skills give a child a great sense of being capable and autonomous.

“Let me do it myself!” is an early step on the road as your child makes his or her way in the world.

Dress-Up Dolls Help Kids Learn New Skills

Zippers, Buttons, Velcro, Snaps

How many buttons, zippers, and snaps can you find on each of these dolls?

One of the appeals of these dress-up dolls is the variety of dressing tasks your child can perform. Your children can button the buttons and do up the zippers as practice. No one is hurrying them to get out the door and their slowness of getting it right isn’t keeping them back from play. Your child doesn’t give up on the task as being too frustrating because doing these little chores becomes the play itself.

Fine Motor Skills

Why Are They Important?

Promoting the development of your child’s fine motor skills helps your child in so many ways. Strong finger muscles makes it easier to hold a pencil. Learning to write is not as frustrating when you can already hold the pencil and maneuver it with ease. Strong finger muscles make learning other things easier, too. Your child will be able to put things together better (for example, Lego and other building sets). Learning to play an instrument or even learning a sport often uses the fine motor skills of your fingers and hand. Think of all the different elements of life that our fine motor skills are the keys to. Early practice makes all the difference.

But these dress-up dolls are so cute that they are not just learning tools; they can become well-loved companions to your child, too. Look at each of their faces when choosing one for your child. Even after your child becomes an expert at buttoning buttons and tying shoes, the doll can have staying power as a special friend that accompanies him or her through the day.

Which doll would your child respond best to?

Manhattan Toy Dress Up Dolls

Comes as a Princess or as a Pirate (Like the Intro Photo)
Manhattan Toy Dress Up Princess
Only $29.95

Which Dressing Activity Does Your Child Have the Most Difficulty Learning?

Or Which Activity Took the Longest to Learn?

Kidoozie Dress Me Josh

15-inch Plush Doll with 10 Learn-to Dress Activities
Kidoozie Dress Me Josh

Kidoozie Dress Me Emily

15-inch Plush Doll with 10 Learn-to-Dress Activities
Kidoozie Dress Me Emily

Cute Monkey Doll with 11 Dress-Up Activities

22 Inches Long
Alex Toys Learn to Dress Monkey
Only $44.98

Learn to Dress Monkey

by Alex Toys

Maybe the Alex Toys Learn to Dress Monkey is the one that would become your child's special friend. I love his bright colors and lounging attitude, don't you?

Most of the parents who have reviewed this dress-up doll have praised the way their child has taken to him, especially little details, such as the banana that sticks into his pocket and the large, easy-to-fasten buttons.

Although these same parents have said that this monkey has been made to be sturdy to stand up to vigorous play, a couple have reported that the seams came loose soon after purchase. Because these were the complaints of just a few while most said the doll was sturdy, perhaps these parents just happened to get a poor run or maybe the monkey won't stand up to the rough play that happens at their house. It's hard to say.

Another thing to know about this monkey is that all the clothes can be removed. This may be a bonus for some who find the extra dressing practice something their child can learn from; others may be concerned that the pieces could become lost. 

Teach Me Elmo

by Gund
Gund Teach Me Elmo - 15.75"
Only $60.0

Teach Me Elmo

Sesame Street

Teach Me Elmo would be a great choice for a Sesame Street fan. Elmo seems to touch the hearts of many young children, and with this toy, they'll discover that Elmo needs to get dressed, too!

Gund is a well-known manufacturer of quality stuffed toys, so you know you're getting a good product.

Not to mention that learning how to button and tie is easier when you have a friend to help.

Which Dress-Up Doll Would Your Child Like Best?

A Variety of Styles

Each child will have a style of dress-up doll that could become his or her favorite. There are so many types available that you can find one to please the child you love. Whether your child would love the sweet face of Dress Me Emily or the cuteness of Dress Me Josh, either choice would be a doll that encourages a child to practice the dressing skills they need to learn.

Other children may prefer a monkey or Elmo, and a fan of Clifford the Big Red Dog would love to help Emily Elizabeth get dressed. A pirate doll or a princess doll would appeal to some, while another child's heart would be melted by the big eyes of the Precious Moments Dolly Dress-up.

Any of these dress-up dolls would be a welcome gift for a child struggling with getting dressed, but even after the lessons have been learned, these dolls will be loved for their own cuteness.

And parents will appreciate how much easier learning to get dressed will be for their child when the practice can be pain free and the focus becomes having fun instead of having to complete a chore.

I hope one of these dress-up dolls will appeal to you. 

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Updated: 12/17/2015, sheilamarie
 
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Which of These Dress-Up Dolls Do You Like Best?

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sheilamarie on 04/07/2012

Katie, I think so, too. Learning to dress oneself is really important for a child.

sheilamarie on 04/07/2012

Kinworm, practice really does make perfect, and I think these dolls are a great way to practice as the child doesn't have the stress of having to hurry to get herself dressed. Sometimes they have to focus on one skill at a time, too.

katiem2 on 04/06/2012

Buttons, zippers and snaps are all task requiring practice. These adorable dolls are a great stress free way to help little hands master dressing themselves.

Marie on 04/06/2012

Dress up dolls are a great idea and my daughter had a pirate one which she really loved. She struggled with zips for ages but took to knots straight away. Practice makes perfect.

sheilamarie on 04/06/2012

Thanks for the comment, Samsara! I remember my struggle learning to tie. I remember learning to buckle some special shoes I had, too.


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