Baby Doll Circle Time in Pre-KA

We are starting something exciting in our class. It’s called Baby Doll Circle Time! Baby Doll Circle Time is a curriculum created by Conscious Discipline designed to promote healthy bonding and social-emotional skills in infants and toddlers.

Once a week when we gather on the rug for our regular circle time, the children are met with a big basket of cute, lifelike baby dolls. The children are prompted to choose a doll for themselves. We sing:

 “Get your baby, get your baby,

 get your baby, time to play,” 

to the tune of “Oh My Darlin,” 

signaling the beginning of the playtime. Then the fun begins!

 There are five steps to Baby Doll Circle Time:

1. Transition to getting your baby

2. Beginning awareness

3. Connection

4. Cuddling and soothing

5. End and transition to next activity

The children will interact with their baby dolls in the same ways we interact with the children individually. If we play peek-a-boo, stop and go, or tickling games with your child, your child will play the same game with the baby doll. In doing so, the children re-experience that connection over and over again, helping to optimize their social-emotional development. Baby Doll Circle Time is based on scientific understanding of brain function. It taps into "mirror neurons," cells in the brain that allow for the transfer of emotions merely by observing them.

Soothing our babies

 When children act out gentle, loving behaviors with their babies, they, in turn, receive that attention as if an adult was doing it with them! This is a huge boost in empathy development and will help children form more caring relationships.