These special dolls, completely made of soft and smooth fabrics, arouse intense feelings. The dolls have a soft filling and their botty is weighted down which invites to hold and carry the dolls like real babies. The fine features and the expressive eyes call for attention and care.
In the game and in therapy the empathy dolls take over the role of a loved person. Due to their soft body and the clear structure of the face, with the "real" snub nose, they arouse affection, trust and the natural care instinct. When designing the features of the face, much emphasis was put on the eyes of the therapy dolls. A constant eye contact is of great importance. This peculiarity helps to develop a strong emotional bond which is the basis for learning social skills. It has been shown that people with deficits in their sensory development, will have less anxiety and stress when dealing with the empathy dolls. New feelings are discovered, their development is supported and the understanding for emotions is promoted.
The little fellows give comfort and support in difficult situations. As constant companions they are essential for the transition to independence. While playing with dolls experiences are processed and the children learn to deal with each other in a responsible way. Interaction between the children is encouraged.
Many adults think that boys should not play with dolls because they could develop to many feminine characteristics. However, boys just like girls need objects, such as the Joyk dolls for practicing and learning empathy and social skills. Especially boys need confirmation from the adults when they make role plays.