Let’s dress teddy - bears are brilliant for practising dressing routines

What you need 

• A teddy bear or doll 
• A selection of accessories, such as sunglasses, hats and scarves 

What to do 

• Put a few accessories close to where your toddler’s dolls and teddies are kept.  
• Suggest teddy might need sunglasses today and encourage your toddler to put them on the teddy. Let your toddler explore all their ideas, and use the dressing-up clothes however they wish. 

Check items regularly for broken parts and always supervise your toddler when they are playing with objects that have small parts. 

Good to know 

Your toddler might find taking accessories off their toys easier than putting them on at first, so you could put teddy away with a pair of sunglasses on rather than leaving the accessories next to the toys.  

If you want to encourage your toddler to wear glasses, a scarf or a hat, playing with the idea of them putting the accessory on one of their favourite toys might help them to wear it themselves. So, maybe teddy and your toddler both put their glasses on when they get up!