Welcoming a new baby into the family is an exciting, albeit sometimes challenging, transition for toddlers. As parents, we're always on the lookout for ways to make this journey smoother and more joyful. Enter the magical world of Dozy Dinkum Dolls – your toddler's perfect companion in navigating the adventure of new siblinghood.

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  The Power of Play

  Dozy Dinkum Dolls are storytellers, confidants, and playmates all in one. Encourage your toddler to engage in pretend play with their Dozy Dinkum, weaving stories of their own sibling adventures. This opens a world of communication and expression, allowing your little one to share feelings and emotions in a safe and playful environment.

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  Mirror on the Doll 

  Toddlers learn by observing and imitating. Use Dozy Dinkum Dolls to teach gentle and caring behaviors. Show your toddler how to cradle and comfort the doll, and explain that soon, they'll get to do the same for their new baby brother or sister. It's a beautiful way to instill a sense of responsibility and empathy.

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  Bedtime Bonding

  Bedtime routines are sacred for toddlers, and the addition of a Lullaby Dozy Dinkum Doll can turn this routine into a magical bonding experience. Create a cozy bedtime ritual where your toddler tucks in their Dozy Dinkum and pulls their cord to play a soft lullaby, mirroring the care they'll soon provide for their new sibling. This shared routine not only fosters a sense of connection but also eases the transition to a new bedtime dynamic.

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  Cuddly Confidants

  Sometimes, expressing emotions can be challenging for toddlers. Dozy Dinkum Dolls become a non-threatening channel for them to communicate their feelings. If your little one is feeling excited, nervous, or even a bit confused about the upcoming changes, encourage them to share these emotions with their doll. This simple act can open the door for meaningful conversations about their evolving family.

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  Team Lullaby Dozy Dinkum

  Make your toddler feel like an essential part of the sibling team by involving them in preparations. Let them help choose a Lullaby Dozy Dinkum Gift Set for the new baby, with their own Dozy Dinkum by their side. This collaborative effort makes them feel valued and establishes a sense of camaraderie as they eagerly anticipate their new sibling's arrival.

Tubbles Sensory Stones are made to spark creativity, encourage exploration, and make every moment brim with fun and discovery, igniting your child's senses. Let's jump right into the exciting world of sensory play and delve into the wide range of benefits for children's development and overall well-being.

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  Cognitive and Language Development

  As your little explorer squishes and molds, their brain is firing on all cylinders, making connections and piecing together the world around them. Sensory play is a language class disguised as fun! Words come alive as they describe the gooey texture of slime or the smooth sensation of Tubbles, encouraging your child's vocabulary to bloom as they chatter away about their colorful experience.

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  Social Skills

  Sensory play is the perfect setting for mini social gatherings. Picture your child and their friends huddled around a tray of sensory treasures. They're sharing, negotiating, and cooperating—all vital life skills disguised as playtime. Sharing sensory materials and space can sometimes lead to disagreements among children. These moments allow for them to develop conflict-resolution skills, empathy, and practice turn-taking.

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  Fine Motor Skills

  Tiny hands, big achievements! Sensory play often involves activities like squeezing, pinching, and manipulating objects with various textures. These actions require the use of hand muscles, which become stronger through sensory play. This exploration enhances hand-eye coordination as kiddos learn to control their movements while visually tracking what they are doing.

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  Creativity 

  Sensory play is a powerful tool for nurturing creativity in children. It encourages them to explore and experiment with the world around them. Sensory materials, like sand, playdough, or water, act as blank canvases for the imagination. Kids can mold, shape, and transform these materials into anything their creative minds conceive, from magical creatures to fantastical landscapes.

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  Problem Solving

  During sensory play your child becomes an investigator, figuring out the mysteries of textures, shapes, and colors. When faced with something new or unfamiliar, they often need to figure out how to interact with it effectively, like mixing paint to achieve the desired colour. 

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  Preparation for School

  Sensory play is more than just fun; it's a vital preparation for your child's journey through school. As they explore different textures, shapes, and materials, they're laying the foundation for academic success. Sensory activities engage their senses, fostering a deep love for learning that will carry them through their educational years. 

Play is a child's way of engaging and making sense of the world. Role play may appear to be an amazingly simple activity, yet children learn practical life skills within it. Between the ages of two and three, kiddos begin to explore the world of imaginative play. Not only does this type of play teach children important skills like feeding, dressing, and caring for others, it also taps into developing social skills and empathy. Read on for more benefits and tips to encourage a special bond with your little one and their doll. 

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“When children create imaginary worlds and role play with dolls, they communicate at first out loud and then internalize the message about others’ thoughts, emotions and feelings. This can have positive long-lasting effects on children, such as driving higher rates of social and emotional processing and building social skills like empathy that can become internalized to build and form lifelong habits.” - Dr Sarah Gerson, a neuroscientist at Cardiff University. 

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  Introduce Problem Solving

  Assist your kiddo by introducing incidental learning opportunities. For example, during pretend mealtimes, you might ask your child questions like, "what's on the menu today?", or "what happens next?". Prompt critical thinking by inserting dilemmas that your child will have to solve e.g., "oh no! Dolly's food is too hot to eat". Your kiddo can work through these tricky scenarios with guidance. 

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  Foster Creativity

  Allow children to explore and act out different scenarios that they may not be able to experience in real life. For example, dining at a restaurant with mum & dad, or nurturing their own little doll baby - perfect for kiddos who are about to welcome a younger sibling. 

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  Promote Physical Development

  Fun activities such as dressing a Dinkum Doll in shoes and socks are great for developing hand-eye coordination. Provide a box of props filled with doll clothes and accessories for your child to explore their own sense of style. Teach personal hygiene habits like brushing hair and acting out bath time routines. 

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  Teach Language Skills

  Expand your child's vocabulary by encouraging them to describe the way they are playing with their dolls. Ask them to describe the scenario (e.g., "we are riding a pretend bus to the shops"), and encourage them to vocalize emotions ("we are excited to be on a bus!"), and the conversation between your child and their doll.

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  Develop Social Skills and Empathy

  Playing with dolls encourages children to learn about and consider other perspectives during solo and group play. Model empathetic behavior during playtime and encourage children to talk about their thoughts and emotions to further develop these crucial skills. 

Tips For Encouraging Imaginative Play

Sleep. The dream every new parent is chasing. But how do you tell your baby, with no concept of time, that it’s time to rest so mama can catch up on her Netflix watch list? Start by creating a calming space to send your little one off to the land of nod. Here are some of our must-have pieces and top tips for the newly most important (and stylish) room in the house.

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Choose Your Color Palette

Babies love bright colors, but muted tones are best for relaxation, so which is right for your nursery? If the goal is to create a calming space to encourage sleep, soft hues are “important for a baby’s brain development because they offer a much-needed rest”, says Dr Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP, the founder and CEO of Happiest Baby. Dr Karp says stimulating colors do help a baby’s brain develop and aid in their learning. But consider packing these treasures away when it’s naptime.  

Store toys elegantly in the Tulip Basket or Lily Basket Set when it’s time to sleep.

Introduce Snuggly Bunkmates

Cuddly toys are beneficial for sensory development, emotional growth, and developing social skills. From 12 months +, comfort your little one and encourage them to self-soothe with a snuggly pal.  

Sleepovers are more fun with friends!

Create A Space Dedicated To Diaper Changes

Babies and toddlers are wriggly little things (IYKYK). Keep them safe (and you sane) in one of our cult-favorite Changing Baskets. A calming bedtime routine will assist your little one at the end of the day. Consider a warm bath, then lay your little one down in one of our comfy Changing Baskets for a massage and PJ change. The best part? They’re portable and grow with your littles. When your diaper days are over, use one as a toy basket or coffee table tray.  

Waiting on a surprise? Pair your Changing Basket with a gender-neutral Luxe Organic Cotton Liner.

Storage, Storage, Storage

For the tiniest people, babies come with a lot of baggage. Which they incidentally love to spread around the house. Consider portable storage solutions like the Rattan Wamble Walker. As well as toting treasures, the Wamble Walker makes a fabulous companion as your child grows and develops, supporting and encouraging your little one as they explore the world around them. An added bonus – walking with the Wamble Walker will burn off that extra energy before bedtime!  

Keep pacifiers and other essentials on hand by fastening a Mini Chari Basket to the crib bars.

The Finishing Touches

We love seeing claycountyduilawyers treasures grow with your little ones. Start their collection with our Nursery Inspiration Guide. 

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Pip Goldie

Mini Daisy

Moppet Ocean 

Pickle Blossom

"The idea of matching the PJs with the Dinkum Doll is that so much of doll role play is about becoming an older sibling or talking about that. I know how much my kids love to wear matching clothes, so being able to dress their Dinkum Doll to match their Dozy Dinkum is such a sweet way to encourage that role play."- Creator & Co-founder, Olivia.

Sweet Dreamy Matching PJs

Dinkum Doll Carrier Blossom

Dinkum Doll Carrier Ocean 

Like all of us, even a Dinkum Doll needs a little TLC every now and then! Being a Dinkum BFF can be a bit messy from time to time; there's dirt, paint, messy hair, and sometimes accidents happen too. Luckily, from washing to hairstyling, we're here to answer all those Dinkum Doll care tips you've ever wondered or asked about! 
❤️ Did you know? A percentage of all Dinkum Doll sales goes to  Donations are currently going to Save the Children's efforts to help protect children caught up in the conflict in Ukraine

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Care for your Dinkum Doll

To Machine Wash 

• 01Place in pillowcase
  If you would like to give your Dinkum a bath using a washing machine, first place it into a pillowcase or wash bag.
• 02Seal
  Make sure that the bag is sealed so that your Dinkum Doll won't escape mid-wash.
• 03Wash
  Wash your Dinkum Doll on a gentle, cold cycle, then leave it in the sun to dry.
• 04Comb
  Once your Dinkum Doll is dry, use a soft-bristled brush to comb their hair.
• 05Style
  Style those locks however you choose! 
• 06Be careful!
  Each Dinkum Doll comes with special embroidered details, like their sweet little Rainbow heart. Be mindful that the stitching and fabrics may wear over time. We do not recommend repeated machine washing.

 To Spot Clean

• 01Brush 
  Start by brushing your Dinkum Doll's hair using a soft-bristled brush. This is important to do prior to washing in order to remove any fluff or debris that may be stuck in it.
• 02Remove Clothing
  Remove your Dinkum Doll's clothing. These can be washed together with your usual laundry.
• 03Wet a cloth
  Wet a cloth under warm water...
• 04Apply
  ...then apply your favourite organic washing detergent. 
• 05Lather
  Using circular motions, lather the detergent into the parts of the Dinkum Doll you would like to spot clean...
• 06Repeat
  ...then repeat using only water until the doll is clean. Lay your Dinkum Doll in the sun to dry. 

Hooray! Ready to style their hair however you choose.

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WHAT IS IMAGINATIVE PLAY?

WHY IS IMAGINATIVE PLAY IMPORTANT?

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TIPS TO PROMOTE IMAGINATIVE PLAY

OUR FAVOURITE PRODUCTS FOR IMAGINATIVE PLAY

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This week is World Breastfeeding Week, and in honour of the occasion we thought we’d catch up with our friend Magdalena Roze, who is an expert in all things post-natal health (and also an expert in the kitchen!). Read on for Mags’ top tips for nourishing your body as a new mama, including the recipe for her famously hearty and healthy Chicken Bone Broth - yum!

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Chicken broth would have to be one of the most nourishing, healing meals going. It’s as an immune booster, digestion aid and super tonic for glowing skin, hair and nails. It’s particularly nourishing during and post pregnancy for replenishing the body. Your bone broth should end up much thicker than your normal soup broth because your cooking the ingredients, especially the chicken bones, for much longer (12-24 hours). This gives them time to breakdown and release a whole lot of incredible nutrients like calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. It’s also super rich in protein, glycine (helps with detoxing), proline and gelatin (amazing for skin). It’s excellent for digestion too as you’re getting a whole lot of nutrients that are normally missing from the modern diet.

A good broth will solidify when it’s in the fridge because it’s so gelatinous, but it goes runny again once you heat it up. It’s the perfect thing to make in the slow cooker overnight, and you’ll be rewarded with liquid gold that’s incredibly versatile. It’s great on it’s own in a mug as a drink, and the perfect canvas for a quick but more substantial soup, stew or sauce. Because you’re slow cooking the chicken bones to extract every bit of nourishment, ideally organic, pasture-raised and ethically produced chicken. - Lovely photo by Rob Palmer