Roxanne Francis said it started in April when her daughter, Leah, 8, starting playing with one of her dolls again.
“She hadn’t touched her dolls for years,” said Ms. Francis. “I thought it was neat in this day and age because kids don’t seem to be playing with dolls. It’s nice to see.”
Ms. Francis said until this new trend, which has lasted all summer, Leah might not touch a doll for months at a time.
Leah and a group of at least five other friends have been carrying their dolls around all summer, usually with the help of a stroller.
The girls say it doesn’t really mater what brand of doll they have. They just like to take them around and dress them up.
Unfortunately for the parents, this new game is not any cheaper than other trends that children sometimes get caught up in. The girls say they try to buy new baby clothes every time they’re at a store in Port aux Basques.
“We try to get new clothes every week,” said Chloe Hatcher, 8.
They take the game seriously - blankets, diapers, toys and bottles are all brought along too. Each doll has a name, and the name doesn’t change. Some of the accessories are pilfered form attics and basements.
“My stroller is from when I was a baby,” said seven-year-old Anna Billard.
Nine-year-old Samantha LeFrense said the game gets them out of the house.
“We go all around the whole harbour,” she said.
The group of six girls walking side-by-side with strollers often causes cars to slow down on the narrow streets and ask what they are doing.
“They ask if they are real or if they are dolls,” said Samantha.
And as for school, the girls say they aren’t ready to give up on the game just yet. Each has a mom, nan or a little sister lined up to babysit while they are at school.
How long could the game go on? Leah already has a plan for when the snow comes.
“We’re going to get them sleds for winter!” she said.
.jpg)
.jpg)
