by Maree Matthews and Gerry Silk
Kiwanis International, 1994.
What are calico dolls and who
makes them?
Calico dolls are simple in shape and made with plain
fabric. The dolls are without features and they are plumply stuffed with
polyester fibrefill, so they are lightweight. They are made in a range of skin
tones. Children draw with textas or felt tip pens on plain calico giving personality
and so each doll is unique. Since 1993 over 60,000 dolls have been made for
children in hospital. Most of the dolls are made by volunteers and in the past Girl Guides have made calico dolls for AWCH in Sydney.
Where and how are they used?
Calico dolls are used to help children in healthcaresettings: in hospital emergency departments, radiology departments, routine healthcare admissions and when
children are transported between healthcare settings. Calico dolls are also
used in community settings by psychologists and child life
therapists.
Calico dolls have been used to
help transition children to hospital and medical procedures. The play is
therapeutic because it gives children permission to express themselves. The
role play helps children by providing them with emotional support when they are
in unfamiliar healthcare places and having unfamiliar experiences.
The dolls are also known as trauma dolls and can provide a positive way of coping, reducing stress and trauma. Children become empowered because through doll play they know more about what will happen to them and they can express themselves. Through parallel play they can tell family, friends and health professionals about what is happening to them and how they feel. How the doll is used is up to each child, their personality and developmental stage. Some children will focus on the doll as a means of gathering information and other children will use the doll as a tool for self-expression as well as understanding.
Calico dolls : a process of play is a great book for introducing health
professionals and students to the value of calico dolls and their uses.
Vignettes illustrate some of the uses, such as for diversion from pain,
discomfort, anxiety and boredom. Other uses are for expression of feelings, as
preparation for painful procedures, when working with siblings, for children who do not speak English, in
bereavement care and for parent involvement. The book also explains how health
professionals can make doll play a successful experience as well as how to talk
to children in health care settings.
Calico dolls: a process of play is available for loan from the AWCH Library. The AWCH office also has a doll pattern for people who would like to make one.
Reviewed by:
Jillian Rattray
AWCH Librarian
February 2015
