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A toddler sitting on the floor holding a baby bottle to a baby doll's mouth while a grown-up beside them models the same feeding action.
Skill builderAutism supportDevelopmental supportCopy Then TryIndoor

Baby Bottle Doll Feed.

Give your toddler an easy first step into pretend play with just a doll and bottle. After watching one feeding turn, they bring the bottle to the doll's mouth, practicing imitation through a familiar make-believe action.

Play time
3-5+ min
Age
1-2 years
Energy
Low
Mess
No
Effort
Low
Where
Indoor
Start here

The recipe.

Low parent effort
2 things

What you need

  • 1 baby doll
  • 1 baby bottle or toy bottle
3 min minimum

Setup

Then start the loop
Step 01
Set out one baby doll and one baby bottle.
"Baby drinks."
The loop

How play unfolds.

Four panels showing a doll and bottle on the floor, a grown-up feeding the doll once, a toddler copying the feeding turn, and the bottle being set back beside the doll for another round.
  1. 01
    Hold the bottle to the doll's mouth once and say, "Baby drinks. Your turn."
  2. 02
    Give your child the bottle and let them bring it to the doll's mouth.
  3. 03
    Take turns bringing the bottle to the doll's mouth.

Safety Check

  • Stay with your child the whole time.
  • Use a bottle with no loose parts, sharp edges, or accessible small pieces.
  • Stop if the bottle turns into a mouthing, throwing, or banging object.
Skill spotlight
Copy Then Try

copying a simple pretend caregiving action

This helps a child copy one familiar caregiving action, stay with a short back-and-forth routine, and begin early pretend play with a concrete everyday object.

  • •This supports early pretend play by giving your child one familiar object and one simple caring action to copy.
  • •The short feed-and-reset loop makes the routine easier to repeat without a lot of language.
  • •One doll and one bottle keep the job clear enough for short turns and easy retries.
Real-world transfer
  • Copying simple caregiving actions
  • Using one object in a purposeful pretend way
  • Staying with a short shared routine
Supporting the play

What to say in the moment

Match what you say to what you see.

Prompt ladder
Level 1 (Start)
"Feed baby."
Level 2 (Keep going)
"Baby drinks."
Level 3 (Stretch)
"My turn. Your turn."
Level 4 (Extend)
"Baby wants more?"
If your child seems...
What you'd see
Focused
What to do
Say
"You fed the baby."
Add
Pause after your model so your child has a second to start the feed alone.
Extend
Let your child hand the bottle back to you for the next turn.

Make it easier

Younger end
  • -Keep the doll very close to the bottle so the target is obvious.
  • -Count touching the bottle to the doll anywhere near the mouth as success.
  • -Hold the doll steady during every child turn.

Make it harder

Older end
  • +Wait after your model to see whether your child picks up the bottle without a handoff.
  • +Let your child place the bottle back beside the doll before the next round.
  • +Pause before saying "your turn" so the visual model carries more of the cue.

If it's not working

If you see
If child ignores it
Put the bottle directly into your child's hand right after your model and count one feed as enough.
If you see
If child misuses it
Say, "Bottle feeds baby," take it back for one calm model, and return it as the only active object.
If you see
If child gets frustrated
Hold the bottle with your child for one shared feeding turn, then let your child pull it away alone.
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