Dress Up Paper Dolls

From LoveToKnow Kids

Dress Up Paper Dolls Provide Simple and Inexpensive Fun

If you’re looking for a way to keep your children occupied on a rainy day, dress up paper dolls provide simple and inexpensive fun. Paper dolls let kids express their creativity in a way that’s hard to compare to toy’s most popular battery-operated toys.

Finding Paper Dolls Online

Since dress up paper dolls are a somewhat old-fashioned concept, it’s not always easy to find websites that feature free paper doll patterns for your children to enjoy. However, there are still several helpful resources for parents in search of paper dolls for preschoolers or older children.

Paper Dolls for Preschoolers

Dress up paper dolls give preschoolers a chance to practice their cutting, pasting, and coloring skills. Kids can also develop their language skills by creating stories about their new friends.

If you’re looking for paper dolls for preschoolers, check out the following websites:

Making Friends is one of the best websites for dress up paper dolls for preschoolers. Featuring happy, smiling farces and bold graphics, the dolls on this site are available in several different ethnicities. Available outfits include career, athletic, seasonal, holiday, scouting, and spiritual apparel.
Young children who love the Bernstein Bears series of books will love creating their own Bernstein Bears dress up paper dolls. Kids can choose print a variety of different wardrobes for Mother Bear, Papa Bear, Brother Bear, and Sister Bear.
PaperDolls.org has a variety of fun and whimsical dress up paper dolls designed by artist Lucinda C. Durbin. The selection even includes a few animal dolls for kids to enjoy.

Paper Dolls for Older Children

While most paper doll sites are for preschoolers, there are still a few websites that provide dress up paper dolls for older children. However, these sites often use more sophisticated graphics and allow users to try on variety of virtual outfits before printing the final selection.

If you’re looking for dress up paper dolls for older children, check out the following websites.

American Girl has an interactive paper doll game that lets visitors choose outfits for Addy, Felicity, Molly, Kaya, Kirsten, Samantha, and the rest of the American Girl gang. When you’re finished, you can save and print your creation.
Star Doll Heaven lets girls design paper dolls to look like themselves or their favorite model, singer, or entertainer. Girls can print their creations or share them with other members of the Star Doll Heaven community.

Going Beyond Paper

While many people prefer to print their paper dolls on regular printer paper, there are a few other choices available. For example:

Printing dress up paper dolls on heavyweight cardstock makes it easier for younger children to play without fear of damaging their creations.
Use restickable sticker sheets to create paper dolls that can be enjoyed again and again!
Print your paper doll creations on magnetic sheets and cut with household scissors to create customized refrigerator magnets.
Print your paper dolls on inkjet window clings to decorate mirrors, windows, and other glass surfaces.

Most of these materials should be available at your nearest office supply store.