I participated in a In-Home Party Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Mattel. I received product samples to facilitate my party and a promotional item to thank me for participating.
I’m going to be honest, growing up I didn’t like dolls. I was more into doing things outside, getting dirty and all that jazz. Hanging with my dad at the shop, getting dirty, learning about cars, or riding my horses, but my girls. My youngest daughter like it all, she will be outside working on the cars with dad, in her princess dress lol, and she loves to play with Barbie’s. Honestly, I enjoy listening to her play Barbie’s because playing with dolls is beneficial to kids.
Have you ever wondered if playing with dolls is good for kids? I know I have, and after watching, all of my girls play with Barbie I have learned to love Barbie with my girls. From her movies, coloring books, paint books, magazines, to her dolls, cars, castles and horses. Oh, and she now has a rabbit, but I’ll fill you in later. Pretend play does amazing things for kids.
12 Reasons Playing With Dolls Is Beneficial For Kids
Here are a few of the reasons kids should play with dolls.
- Imagination – If you have ever listened to a little girl play dolls alone, it’s the most amazing thing, because of how much imagination they put into playing.
- Creative – They have to get creative, because if Barbie doesn’t have a house they have to make her one. Mattie has made them out of everything from a shoebox, to a paper sack, and done a great job. We even painted the last one.
- There isn’t a wrong way to play dolls – Playing dolls is all about them, what they want to do, and how they want to do it. There isn’t a wrong way to play dolls, all that matters is they are having fun. Mattie doesn’t play dress up, and Barbie isn’t a girlie girl in her eyes, because she works on cars, her friends boat, and build everyone things they need. She rarely sticks to girlie girl stuff, because she is too busy helping all her friends fix everything they need, and one time she was even a vet.
- Play alone – Dolls is something they can play alone, and at times maybe enjoy playing alone.
- Social Skills – Playing dolls help kids develop social skills.
- Keeps them young – Playing dolls keeps them young, it wont’ be too long and they will decode they don’t like dolls and are too old for them.
- Problem Solving – Pretend play allows children to face challenges, which they need to find a solution for. When my kids are playing dolls they tend to come up with creative solutions to their problems, or mimic something they have seen their father or I do. Either way, they’re learning about problems solving and don’t even know it.
- Education – Mattie learned how to count to 10 while playing dolls with her sister. I’m not sure what it was they were doing, but her older sister was playing dolls with her, and her doll was teaching Mattie’s doll how to count to 10, before I knew it Mattie was walking around counting to 10!
- Boys and girls can play together – Whoever said it wasn’t possible is wrong, because it happens all the time at my house. Corbin will be a dragon, dump truck, talking racecar, or something fun and the kids will play for hours and hours, and never argue.
- Mom can play too – I started playing dolls with my girls a while back, and I could go on for day with reason I like to play dolls with my girls, but the main reason is because they grow up to fast, and I refuse to look back and say I should have played dolls more and vacuumed less.
- IT’S FUN, and kids deserve to be kids – Kids have a lot to responsibility, and they only have one childhood. If they enjoy playing dolls they should get to play dolls, and even finish it up with an awesome Barbie Movie, because all the Barbie movies I have watched with my girls send out a great message.
- Barbie makes a rockin’ party – What little girl who loves Barbie doesn’t want a Barbie party? Well, Mattie’s next birthday is going to be an awesome Barbie party, and I’m super excited for it, because I love pink, and more importantly seeing my children smile! We had a little get together
When she was itty-bitty I cannot tell you how many times we watched the same Barbie movie over and over. Oh and I read the same book over and over! Man, I’m glad those days are gone, and I can actually sit down and enjoy a Barbie movie I have not seen with Mattie, who got really lucky and was able to have a little Barbie get together.
The package came before the party, and Mattie opened it. I could kick myself for not thinking about it before telling her it was okay to open. I tried to catch her on video, because she was too excited about everything, but I did manage to catch her SUPER excited to show anyone who was at the house. If you watch the below video, keep in mind we were in the middle of pulling everything off the walls, redoing floors, painting, and everything else in the front room.
Oh, and when Mattie found out there was a new NEW Barbie movie – Barbie and the Secret Door I thought she was going to pass out, lol. We ended up having the party a little early, which ended up being a good things becasue my sister and nephew are in ICU and I’m not sure how things will go from her. It was nice to have fun with the kids, smile, and forget all the wolds problems.
We started the party with the Barbie and the Secret Door movie, because Mattie couldn’t wait to watch it, and I needed to finish the cupcakes. Keep in mind these were supposed to be fun Barbie cupcakes, but this is what happens when you let your daughter help with HER Barbie party, and she things she runs the place when you leave to use the restroom. GREEN, Mattie told me she changed her mind and she wanted to have a Barbie Halloween Birthday Party! Oh well, so they were green the kids didn’t care, and they turned out good.
Barbie and the Secret Door Movie
Barbie and the Secret Door is a fun adventure full of magic and music, and Barbie stars as Alexa™, who is a shy princess! She loves read, and would rather read than tend to her royal duties. She discovers an amazing magical door in the kingdom, which is much like the one in the book she is currently reading. She enters the door to see a magical land, filled with surprises and magical creates. She also meets Nori™ and Romy™ a fairy and a mermaid. They tell Alexa™ all about their spoiled ruler, who’s trying to take all the magic, but wait Alexa™ has magical powers in this world, and her friends know that she can bring the magic back.
I have to admit, discovering the door to the land where she meets new friends was much more fun. The girls loved the movie, and they asked me to please put it on again. The second time they only paid attention to bits and pieces, because there was some Barbie playing going on. It really was cute, they were trying to act out Barbie and the Secret Door, and Mattie was getting irritated because one of the girls kept talking out of character. It’s too funny, Mattie takes her doll playing serious, and she has an awesome imagination.
Finally, it was time to open the dolls! This was the moment Mattie had been waiting for, and I’m sure it seemed like 5 years in her little mind. I’m proud of her she only asked me 9,124 times. Which is rather good for her, because she can ask me something that many times in less than a day, lol.
There was also fun Barbie coloring books, water coloring, and a magazine. Oh my, and don’t forget the sticker that the kids had a blast with.
I don’t think anyone left the house without stickers on them, and I’m 90% sure they forgot one if they tried to take them all off before they left. These crazy girls went sticker happy! Even poor Skittles was covered in stickers, lol. Oh, that picture is only the start of it! Thankfully, Skittles is a good sport and loves the attention.
She always gets upset with me when she is playing dolls, and I ask her what she is talking about. She normally tell me something like, “Mom, I am playing dolls, and I love you, but when you talk to me it messes me up.”
I tried to play games with the girls but they were not having it! They only wanted to play with the Barbie’s and at one point took off in Mattie’s room to build a doll house, lol. I was just glad to see everyone having so much fun, and I should have known Mattie wasn’t going to let anyone do anything but play dolls with her, lol. She makes her brother, cousins, uncles, and even grandpa played dolls with her!
At one point Mattie came and asked me if she could use my rabbit. I know, like she’s a toy or something. I asked what she needed my bunny for, and she told me that Barbie’s horse needed a break, which means he is in the toy box and she doesn’t want to get it lol. While we were looking for the horse I noticed Bun-Bun the bunny followed us from my room to Mattie’s room, and was super interested in the dolls for some reason. So Mattie and I decided to see if Barbie could ride a wild bunny like Bun Bun. At first she had a hard time, she fell off several times, but got back up every time, and didn’t even cry. Finally, she got back on that bunny, and didn’t fall off! See you go Barbie, teaching these kids to never give up! Get back up, and ride that bunny!
I had to remind everyone we had coloring books. Even Bud wanted to color a Barbie picture, and lucky for us there was a few sticker left that worked great to hold his paper in place so he could draw.
We had fun at the party, but next time I am going to hide the box from Mattie, because I had some super cute cupcakes and decorations planned lol. I guess at the end of the day all that matter is whether the kids had fun, and without a doubt, they had a blast!
Oh, and as for the Barbie movie, we have watched it several times since the party, and the girls love it. Therefore, if you’re looking for a great movie for your kids, check out Barbie and the Secret Door, which is an awesome movie sends a positive message in a musical, magical and fun Barbie kind of way.
Barbie and the Secret Door is available in-stores and online here.
