Our talented ten year old neighbor, Gia, is the best mother’s and babysitter! She brings toys and thinks of new activities to do with my four year old while I’m working or teaching. Last week, after writing class, I wandered over to the dining room table to see what they’d been doing. I found them playing with a homemade paper doll and doll outfits. The girls were pretending, imagining, and engaged. I couldn’t wait to write a post about this fun and easy idea.
Draw the Body and Cut Out
Gia drew a girl body, decorated her and cut her out.
Trace the outline and use to design an outfit
She turned the doll over, drew the outline, removed the doll from the paper and used the outline to design an outfit. Once she’d designed the clothes, she cut out the clothes, adding on tabs. Simple. Brilliant.

Later on, my seven-year-old took to the project with gusto, creating a paper doll city, with dolls of all shapes, sizes and colors, rooms and houses. (See above) She even made a daddy paper doll for daddy when he played with her.
Younger children can draw basic people with a circle head, rectangle or triangle body, and lines for legs and arms. Help them cut out the shape so they, too, can make their own paper doll.
Thanks, Gia!
Fashion Design for Kids
A bit more about this blog…
If you’re a teacher, parent, librarian, or grandparent, my blog,
Imagination Soup, is the perfect resource for you to find good children’s books.
You’ll find
Children’s Books by Age starting with
board books for babies 0 and 1 year olds.
One of the most
popular book lists is Kindergarten Reading. This is a time when kids need good books and lots of practice.
Once you move beyond early readers, you might be looking for
chapter books for first graders aka.
1st Grade Books.
At around
age 7, kids are ready for
2nd Grade Books or
Second Grade Books.
The next level up is
Third Grade Reading Chapter Books for 3rd Graders.
3rd grade reading books are generally for ages 8 and 9.
Ages 9 and 10 are in
4th Grade so if you need
4th Grade Reading ideas, you’ll want those book recommendations.
Find the
Best Books for 5th Graders in my
Fifth Grade Books list.
Books for 5th Graders are for
age 10 and 11.
Age 11 and 12 is usually
6th grade. On this list, you’ll find
6th Grade Reading recommendations that they’ll love.
7th grade books are for kids around age 12.
When kids turn 13, they’re in
8th grade in the U.S.
Toys and games reviews and recommendations for kids for children who are ages 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and up — preschool, elementary, tweens, and teens — both boys and girls.
Here are some quick links to get you started:
Toys & Gifts for 3 Year Olds
Toys & Gifts for 4 Year Old Girls
Toys & Gifts for 4 Year Old Boys
Toys & Gifts for 5 Year Old Girls
Toys & Gifts for 5 Year Old Boys
Toys & Gifts for 6 Year Old Girls
Toys & Gifts for 6 Year Old Boys
Toys & Gifts for 7 Year Old Girls
Toys & Gifts for 7 Year Old Boys
Toys & Gifts for 8 Year Old Girls
Toys & Gifts for 8 Year Old Boys
Toys & Gifts for 9 Year Old Girls
Toys & Gifts for 9 Year Old Boys
Toys & Gifts for 10 Year Old Girls
Toys & Gifts for 10 Year Old Boys
Toys & Gifts for 11 Year Old Girls
Toys & Gifts for 11 Year Old Boys
Toys & Gifts for 12 Year Old Girls
Toys & Gifts for 12 Year Old Boys
Toys & Gifts for 13 Year Old Girls
Gifts for Teen Boys
Gifts for Teen Girls
Melissa,
Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I sooooooo remember doing this as a kid!
Wendy