A simple homemade doll gives greater meaning to familiar words.

 

• woman’s ribbed sock
• shredded paper or batting (for stuffing)
• thick thread
• craft items such as yarn, ribbons, sequins, etc.

Read a book of nursery rhymes and discuss the characters. Make your own Humpty-Dumpty! Flatten the sock so that the sole of the foot is face down. The toe end of the sock will become the body, and the ankle ribbing will become the legs. Cut ribbing in half to create flaps that become the legs. Leave about half an inch of ribbing at the top. Fill the sock with batting to form an egg shape – a great job for your young helper. Using simple, wide stitching, sew up the flaps. Start at the bottom of one (the foot) and stitch up toward the body, over to the other leg, and down.  Decorate your Humpty with art materials.  Experiment with making dolls for other favorite nursery rhyme characters.

• supports dramatic play
• builds eye-hand coordination
• develops phonemic awareness