Who will hold the doll?
Nursery staff, carers and therapists can work with any Joyk doll, and older children are welcome to play with the dolls too. For very young children, though, most models are too heavy and too stiff. Two sets are light enough for small hands: the treasure basket, which holds ten small soft-bodied dolls, and the bendable dolls set ‘best friends’ with four dolls. Joyk recommends both from 12 months.
The Joyk range at a glance
Newborn babies: Elias, Lilly and Emma
The babies are modelled on newborns. Pick one up and your hand goes to the back of the head, as it would with a real baby. Each has a belly button and is anatomically correct, so it is clearly a boy or a girl. Elias and Lilly have a slightly open mouth and a Human Touch pocket. Emma has no pocket and is noticeably lighter, so she is easier to hold for longer.
Child dolls that sit, lie down and walk a few steps
Emelie, Johan, Nelly, Antonio and Sofia each represent a child aged around three to six. They sit, lie with their legs stretched out and, led by the hand, manage a few steps. Clothes made for real babies fit them, and Antonio even comes with his own pair of shoes. Naomi and Mia are made the same way but are smaller and lighter. All seven are anatomically correct and have a Human Touch pocket.
Dolls without genitals
Sam, Tom, Mandy, Simon and Simone have a rounded bottom and a centre of gravity set well back, so they settle into the crook of your arm like a baby. Sam is one of the smaller, lighter dolls, and the short hair on Sam and Tom leaves no long strands to chew. Marco is built like the child dolls above and can sit, lie and walk with help. With these six, boy or girl is up to the person holding the doll.
Billy the cat and Brando the dog
Billy and Brando are soft toy, hand puppet and warming pad in one, and each comes with two bags. One is filled with granules and adds weight; the other is empty, ready for you to fill, for instance with cherry stones. Warm that bag in the microwave, slip it into the belly, and the cat or dog lies warm across a lap. The opening that takes the bag is also big enough for a hand, which turns Billy or Brando into a hand puppet.
Human Touch: heartbeat and scent
Human Touch is Joyk's name for a pocket in the body of many models, Billy and Brando among them. The Properties filter shows which ones have it. Two accessories fit the pocket, and both are sold separately.
The heartbeat simulator gives a steady beat that you feel as a vibration and hear as a soft sound. A button sets it to run continuously or to switch itself off after an hour. It needs two AAA batteries, which are not included. The aroma bags come in a pack of five and arrive empty. Fill them with whatever smells familiar: a favourite perfume, lavender, cinnamon or vanilla, or a scrap of an old scarf that still carries a loved one's smell.
Where Joyk dolls are used
- At home: a Joyk doll suits an older child who wants something to look after. When a sibling is on the way, a baby such as Emma lets you show the future big brother or sister how a newborn is held and dressed.
- Nurseries and primary schools: a child doll can become the doll that belongs to the whole group. It might go home with a different child each weekend and come back with photos.
- Care homes, day centres and home care: people living with dementia hold the dolls, dress them and talk to them. Many of them raised children of their own, and some once had a cat or a dog.
- Therapy and counselling: a doll can stand in for a familiar person, or a child may give it a voice of its own. Occupational therapists also work with the babies in their sessions.
Choosing between the models
- Anatomy: the babies and most child dolls are anatomically correct; the Properties filter can show these models on their own.
- Weight: the large child dolls are the heaviest of the single dolls. Emma, Sam, Naomi, Mia, Billy and Brando are lighter, and the approximate weight of each doll is in its product details.
- Spare clothes: the denim-look and wind & weather clothing sets are made of cotton and fit the child dolls and the larger babies.
- Buying for an institution: nurseries, schools and care homes may pay by invoice; we switch this on for their customer account after a credit check.