It’s often said that the youth are our future, and we must teach them while their young. To me, this is a daunting task, so I like the idea of letting their toys take some of that burden.
Many dolls come as a blank slate for which children can invent a story, but My Pal dolls come with an educational or socially relevant mission built in.
My Pal dolls, from LorettaRose, LLC, are 18-inch dolls that each have their own story to tell. Some have a sports background, while others have a socially driven purpose, such as Autism Awareness and Going Green. My Pal dolls, along with the line of My Sibling dolls, are created through a program that offers jobs to adults with disabilities. Each doll is groomed, outfitted, and packaged by adults in this program.
Dressed to match the doll’s theme, each one also comes with a booklet for kids to learn the mission behind its making. The rest of the booklet is tailored to the doll’s theme and has a section for kids to write their own experiences that relate to their new buddy. For instance, the booklet for My Pal for Soccer explains the rules of the game, lists some Major League Soccer teams and international teams, and gives tidbits of information about the leagues.
These pals also make for a lot of fun, too. My Pal for Peace had my favorite outfit, equipped with a groovy peace sign cape, peace sign T-shirt, and a bandana. This super hero pal also comes with cloth peace signs for kids to share. Many of the dolls in the My Pal line are boy dolls, giving all kids an option for a new companion they can relate to.
Each doll needs a little grooming once opened, and there’s a list of tips on how kids can take care of their dolls. This offers a way for kids to learn about self-care and taking care of others, often a goal for adults when giving little ones a doll.
Dolls are always a great companion for kids, as many grow up with a strong attachment that is almost inevitable. For kids that have a My Pal as their new bud, they can be enriched by everything that comes along with it. Whether it’s learning about the work that goes into putting them together, or the educational theme, it’s a promising connection for children to become more socially aware of those who are different from them.
