Do You Know What is the Single Best Toy for Your Child's Healthy Development?
A child at play is actually hard at work. Really! For the developing child, play activities serve to stimulate the senses, exercise the body, and activate the mind. That's a lot to accomplish!
The right toys can greatly enhance the development of all your child's faculties. But the WRONG toys can over-stimulate, stifle imagination, and even lead to behavior problems.
The best toys are NOT complicated, and NOT expensive. You don't have to make a trip to the "educational" toy store or invest in electronic learning games.
If you could choose only ONE toy for your child, you'd have a hard time finding a better plaything than a Waldorf doll. For both boys and girls, dolls encourage children to engage in a wide range of imaginative play. Unlike other kinds of toys, a doll can become a companion for the child. With a special doll, a child can imitate adult behaviors of nurturing attention.
Why Waldorf?
Unlike commercially-produced dolls, which can be cold and hard, with rigid facial expressions, Waldorf dolls are soft and cuddly. They're made by hand, so each doll is as individual as your child. With high foreheads and round, chubby cheeks, they have appealing, child-like faces. Their facial expressions are innocent and neutral, which allows the child to assign a full range of emotions to them. Constructed from all natural materials and stuffed with soft wool, the dolls become warm when they are held.
It's no wonder these adorable dolls are becoming so popular.
I Couldn't Find a Great Waldorf Doll Book, So I'm Writing My Own!
Making these marvelous dolls is really quite easy. Unfortunately, finding really clear, complete instructions could be a real challenge ... until now.
Today's Waldorf-inspired dolls trace their roots to generations-old European folk traditions. The best doll makers often work without a pattern, the way my mother makes her fabulous potato salad without a recipe.
As a result, there are limited resources available for parents who want to make these dolls for their own children.
I quickly discovered this when I first set out to make my own Waldorf dolls. The few books that are available are oddly organized and sparsely illustrated. For the purposes of the novice doll maker, they're really quite incomplete. The "best" book I could find had no photos or color illustrations at all!
After designing and making dozens of dolls, I've developed my own patterns and easy, shortcut techniques. I've also become completely "hooked" on Waldorf dolls!
It's hard to say what gives me more pleasure: the fun of constructing the dolls, or the joy of seeing my young friends playing with them. I'd really like to share those experiences with you, by teaching you how to make your own beautiful dolls.
So I've set up this web site, where I'll be posting lots of helpful hints and free tutorials. Please look around and come back often to see what's new.