This week, the children of Sonas Bayswater have been exploring role play with baby dolls.
To begin, we wrapped the dolls in blankets, cuddled them, and rocked or patted them to sleep.
I set up a cot, some blankets, and a few rockers for the children to choose between. They chose a baby and a blanket and handed them to me or Sirisha to wrap up all snug, then we handed them back and encouraged cuddles, rocking and soothing by saying phrases such as “aww cuddle baby,” “put baby to sleep,” “night night baby,” and singing the song ‘rock-a-bye baby.’
The children were so sweet, hugging the babies close, making shushing sounds, placing them in the cot, and using their hands to rock the cot back and forth.
Objectives: The children have shown great empathy, care, and compassion towards these babies. They are learning important life skills, social skills, empathy, and problem-solving skills, and are also being encouraged to engage in turn-taking, sharing, and cooperation.
