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A toddler sitting with a grown-up and brushing a baby doll's hair with a soft brush.
Skill builderDevelopmental supportRepeat LoopIndoor

Brush Baby Hair.

Put your child in charge of the baby's hair! With a doll and a soft brush, they can copy gentle strokes from one spot to the next while practicing imitation, hand control, and a familiar care routine.

Play time
5+ min
Age
2-3 years
Energy
Low
Mess
Low
Effort
Low
Where
Indoor
Start here

The recipe.

Low parent effort
3 things

What you need

  • 1 baby doll with hair your child can see and reach
  • 1 soft child-safe hairbrush or baby brush
  • 1 floor mat, low table, or chair seat
5 min minimum

Setup

Then start the loop
Step 01
Place a doll with brushable hair and a soft brush in front of your child.
Brush baby here.
The loop

How play unfolds.

A sequence showing a grown-up modeling one brush stroke, a toddler brushing the doll's hair, and both checking the next spot.
  1. 01
    Show your child one gentle brush stroke on the doll's hair.
  2. 02
    Give them the brush and have them copy you.
  3. 03
    Point to another spot and repeat.

Safety Check

  • Use a soft brush and a doll without loose parts or shedding pieces.
  • If the brush turns into hitting or chewing, stop and put the brush away.
Skill spotlight
Repeat Care Steps

Repeating a simple care routine

Small repeatable care loops help a toddler stay with getting-ready steps like brushing hair or finishing another quick body-care job without losing the thread after 1 action.

  • •The same brush, check, and move loop helps your child stay with one tiny care routine for more than one turn.
  • •A short model plus the repeated word "brush" keeps the communication load low.
  • •Moving the brush to one small hair spot gives your child a simple fine motor target.
  • •Stopping after a few calm strokes makes the routine feel finishable, not endless.
Real-world transfer
  • Copying 1 small grooming step during real hair brushing or getting ready
  • Staying with a short start-do-repeat routine instead of stopping after 1 action
Supporting the play

What to say in the moment

Match what you say to what you see.

Prompt ladder
Level 1 (Start)
Baby's hair needs one soft brush.
Level 2 (Keep going)
Which spot is next?
Level 3 (Stretch)
Can you brush the side hair?
Level 4 (Extend)
One last gentle brush for baby.
If your child seems...
What you'd see
Focused
What to do
Say
Nice brushing. Try 1 new spot.
Add
Name 1 part only, like "hair" or "baby."
Extend
Let your child choose the next hair spot without your finger point.

Make it easier

Younger end
  • -Leave the brush resting in your child's hand between turns so the next stroke starts faster.
  • -Rotate the doll toward the next hair section instead of asking your child to reach around it.
  • -Use the same front hair patch for 2 short strokes before moving to a new spot.

If it's not working

If you see
If child ignores it
Keep the doll in your lap, do one bigger model stroke, say the same short phrase again, and offer the brush back for one copied turn.
If you see
If child misuses it
Steady the doll, guide the brush back to the hair, and stop if the brush turns into hitting or chewing.
If you see
If child gets frustrated
Help with one shared stroke, name that success, and stop there for this round.

Parent questions

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Keep playing

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