FREE anatomically correct printable paper dolls

Here are some free printable paper dolls that are different because they are anatomically correct! Yes, they have private body parts, i.e. a penis and a vulva. And yes, dolls with ‘all their bits’ are controversial, and some parents tend to get very upset about them!

These anatomically correct paper dolls are a great sex education teaching resource that you can use with your child. They are perfect for starting natural conversations with your child about their body. They also provide you with an opportunity for the kids to practice their fine motor skills with colouring in and cutting out!

Plus, it is a great activity to keep them amused on a rainy Sunday afternoon!

You’ll find more information about sex education in my Sex Education 101 page. And you can find more strategies for starting sex education conversations (like this) in my list of ideas on how to teach sex education in the family home.

Let’s get started!

Why you should have anatomically correct paper dolls

There are a few reasons why children should have anatomically correct dolls.

First of all, we all have genitals. By hiding them in toys, we are giving kids the unspoken message that their genitals are shameful and should be hidden. Shameful messages about sex and bodies often stem from small things like this. So including genitals in dolls gives the message that they are just another part of the body.

Research also tells us that kids who know the correct names of their private body parts are less likely to be sexually abused, and if they are abused, then they are more likely to report it.  Plus, kids are more likely to have a more positive body image and higher self-esteem.

Anatomically correct dolls allow you to teach your child:

• the proper name of their genitals
• the difference between boys and girls or males and females
• about intersex i.e. that some children don’t have a penis or a vulva
• gender roles and diversity (including discussion about transgenderism)
• your family rules for nudity
• differences and similarities between our bodies
• private and public
• body safety

As you can see, there are many benefits to having anatomically correct dolls. They open the doors to important conversations that will keep your child safe!

How to use these paper dolls

Here are a few different ideas on using these paper dolls with your child.

They create an excellent opportunity for a craft activity. Sit down with your child at your kitchen table and tell them you have some paper dolls to make.  You can colour them in, cut them out and dress them together.

You can sit back and see if your child notices the genitals and then talk about it. Feedback from some of the parents who have already used these paper dolls with their children is that their kids didn’t make any comments about the genitals until prompted. And when they were led, the kids were calm and didn’t see it as a big deal.

You could try asking your child some questions about the dolls:

• What’s your doll’s name? Are they a boy or a girl? How can you tell?
• What’s the name of that body part?
• Can boys wear dresses? Why? Why not?
• Which parts of the body are private?
• When is it okay for these dolls to wear no clothes?

If your child doesn’t have the best ‘fine motor skills’, you could cut the doll and clothes out yourself. Or ask an older child to help you.  And whilst you are making them up, you can chat about bodies.

Keep the paper dolls afterwards so your child can come back and play with them again. Which then provides you with another opportunity to talk about bodies.

You can also use paper dolls in role-play. For example, maybe you want to have a discussion about nudity as your child still doesn’t understand your family rules about nudity.

So maybe the dolls are playing in the garden. It’s a hot day, and they play with the garden hose. Is it okay for them to take their clothes off to play? What if the garden faces the street and people walking past can see them? What if it is in your backyard and no one can see them? What about if you have a visitor, like a family friend, a grandfather, or a plumber? Is it then okay? What could they do instead? And so on…

Paper doll instructions

These paper dolls are pretty easy to use, and I have tested them extensively to ensure the clothes fit both dolls and stay on.

Well, my kids have been testing them! And when they finally refused to test more of them, I turned to my friends for help!

So they have been busy using them with their kids, and feedback has been very positive! Their kids were amused for a whole afternoon while they coloured them in, then cut them out and dressed them. The paper dolls have also started great conversations about the different body parts, nudity and safety.

Printing

The file is A4 sized, meaning you can print it at home or with any printing service. Just set the printer as ‘fit to page’ and start printing. You can print these on standard photocopy paper, thicker paper or card stock. You can even print them on magnetic paper (if you want to)!

Materials

Once printed, you’ll need some cardboard (a cereal or biscuit box will do), scissors and a glue stick.

Plus coloured pencils or felt pens for colouring in.

Instructions

You’ll need to colour in the dolls before cutting them out. They have been left as black and white so that they can be coloured to reflect any cultural differences.

If you have printed the dolls on photocopy paper, glue them to some cardboard first. This way, they will be easier to dress, and are much more robust. Then cut them out once the glue has dried.

Carefully cut out the dolls and their clothes. If using clothes with tabs, cut between hair and shoulder so that the tab for clothes will fit over the shoulder. If you have used magnetic paper, cut the tabs off, as you won’t need them. Some parents have even used velcro dots to hold the clothes instead of the tabs.

Fold tabs over on the clothes, and slip the tabs behind the doll to fit. The clothes will fit both dolls.

And now it’s time to sit down with your child and play with them!

Happy playing!
❤️ Cath

More sex education resources

You’ll also find resources in the Sex Ed Shop for talking about bodies.