Who said education can’t be fashionable?

Greta Gerwig’s new Barbie hit blockbuster has unleashed Barbie fever on the nation! So why not tap into it and engage children with Barbie themed activities that keep their brains active, engaged and full of creativity!

Dolls are more than just toys; they’re powerful tools for learning through play! Through role-playing, children can learn about emotions, empathy and develop essential conversational skills and vocabulary. Dolls can introduce them to diverse range people, professions and cultures. There are just SO many learning possibilities!

In this blog, we’re unleashing the power of Barbie! We challenge you to combine fun and learning with 10 creative activities for kids with a Barbie theme…

AND We’ve got a special treat to help bring your barbie themed activities to life! Access your first month of Busy Things for just £2.24 with code BARBIE23 (cancel anytime, usually £4.49 per month)! With hundreds of fun learning games and activities for ages 3-11, this is an opportunity not to be missed!

10 Barbie themed creative challenges

1.     Design Your Dream Barbie Character!

Task your child to step into the shoes of a Barbie-designer and use their extraordinary imagination to dream-up their own unique Barbie doll! Build your own barbie character by creating a fact file filled with all the exciting details:

• Personality and Temperament: What makes their Barbie unique? Is she adventurous, kind, or witty? Let her personality shine through!
• Family and Friends: Every Barbie has a support system. Who are her closest pals and family members? Time to build a Barbie community!
• Hobbies and Interests: What sets their Barbie’s heart racing? Painting, horse riding, or solving mysteries? Discover her passions!
• Skills and Talents: Is she a talented artist, a great chef, or a skilled athlete? Unearth her superpowers!
• Quirks and Flaws: Even superheroes have their quirks! What are her endearing little imperfections?
• Job and Ambitions: It’s time for their Barbie to shine in her dream job! Will she be a pilot, scientist, or even an astronaut?
• Physical Characteristics: Describe their Barbie’s distinguishing features? Does she have vibrant pink hair? Wear stylish glasses? You decide!

Looking for inspiration? Why not create Barbie fact files for some of their favourite Barbies and let them spark new ideas?

With the help of the Busy Things publisher tool, children can bring their Barbie’s personality to life by adding their own illustrations!

2. Brainstorm a Barbie Name:

Let’s put those creative linguistic skills to the test; it’s time to give their Barbie a name!

Help your child learn how to brainstorm. This process is not only about finding the perfect name; it’s a valuable skill that nurtures their imagination and problem-solving abilities.

When brainstorming there are no wrong answers, there are no silly ideas – let their imagination go wild! Here are some ideas for children to consider when brainstorming their Barbie’s name:

• Personality: Reflect her traits – adventurous, kind, witty?
• Hobbies: What activities does she love?
• Talents: Does she sing, dance, or solve mysteries?
• Appearance: Describe her physical features.
• Meaning: Find names with special meanings.
• Role Models: Look to inspiring figures for ideas.
• Fantasy: Explore imaginative names.
• Alliteration: Names starting with the same letter.
• Wordplay: Create clever puns or rhymes.
• Global: Consider names from diverse cultures.

You’re probably going to end up with a long list! Don’t waste them, why not use Busy Things’ custom wordsearch tool to transform them into a word search activity. Not only will they have fun finding the hidden names, but word searches are also fantastic for spelling practice, expanding vocabulary, and recognizing new words.

3. Create your own Barbie Mood Board

Ask your child to explore magazines and scavenge around the home to create their very own dream Barbie mood board!

Thinking about the Barbie character profile that they wrote earlier, here are some prompts for their Barbie mood board:

• Colours of Barbie’s World: What colours instantly come to mind; vibrant or muted tones? Choose a palette that reflects her unique personality.
• Textures and Patterns: A bold stripe or delicate floral? What textures and patterns best represent her personality and style
• Fabulous Accessories: Complete the look with fabulous accessories! Mix and match to find the perfect pieces that showcase your Barbie’s individuality.
• Barbie’s Dream Destinations: Where does your Barbie love to explore? Let’s add pictures and scenery that capture the magical places she dreams of visiting.

Why not use Busy Things’ custom printable templates to create a prompt template for their Barbie mood board. This will serve as a wonderful starting point for their creative journey, inspiring them to bring their Barbie’s world to life with images, colors, and textures that resonate with their character.

4. Become a Barbie Fashion Designer:

Unleash your child’s inner fashionista! Allow them to explore their creativity and design unique outfits for their Barbie dolls, taking inspiration from the fact files and mood boards that they created earlier.

They can mix and match patterns, experiment with colors, and create fabulous looks that reflect their dream Barbie’s personality and taste.

Here are some things they could consider in their outfit designs:

• Theme or Occasion: What’s the theme or occasion for the outfit? Is it a formal gown for a ball, a trendy casual look for a day out, or a magical costume for a fairy-tale adventure?
• Details and Embellishments: Pay attention to the small details that elevate the design, such as buttons, bows, lace, or sequins.
• Versatility: Think about how versatile the outfit is. Can it be mixed and matched with other pieces in Barbie’s wardrobe to create different looks?

Fashion Fun and Fashion Designing activities on Busy Things can help to bring their stylish designs to life on screen.

5. Design Barbie’s Dream House or Workplace:

Aspiring architects and interior designers this way, your child’s next task is to give Barbie an amazing space! Whether it’s a stylish city apartment, a charming countryside cottage, or an out-of-this-world workplace, the power to design their Barbie’s dream house of workplace is in their hands!

They could draw or paint a fabulous blueprint, or use play bricks to construct a three-dimensional masterpiece. If they love hands-on fun, why not build a life-sized version out of cardboard boxes, creating the ultimate Barbie haven?

They could also use the Busy Things’ flat pack building activity to design a magical space for their Barbie.

Encourage them to think about every detail: the color scheme, furniture arrangement, and all the little touches that make a house a home. Let their imagination run wild as they create a world of wonder that perfectly suits their Barbie’s personality and aspirations.

6. Design your own Barbie Dream Vehicle:

Let your child’s imagination soar as they design Barbie’s perfect vehicle! Will it be a sleek sports car or a fabulous helicopter or even a flying unicorn?

Encourage them to think critically about functionality and aesthetics. What features should the vehicle have to suit Barbie’s adventurous lifestyle? How can they make it both stylish and practical? This is their chance to be an automotive visionary and create a vehicle fit for Barbie’s extraordinary journeys!

Why not use Busy Things’ Design a Vehicle activity! Experiment with different shapes, colours, and accessories, turning their creative vision into a reality on screen!

7. Design a Barbie Story/Adventure:

Now that you have a captivating character, a fabulous home or workplace, and the perfect mode of transport, it’s time to embark on an exciting adventure! Encourage your child to unleash their storytelling skills!

To help them craft an exciting adventure, consider these key plot questions:

• Setting the Scene: Where does the story take place? Describe the magical world or exciting location where Barbie’s adventure begins.
• Meet Barbie’s Companions: Introduce Barbie’s friends and any other characters that will join her on this journey.
• The Exciting Quest: What is the main goal or mission that Barbie and her friends are embarking on? It could be finding a lost treasure, rescuing a magical creature, or solving a mysterious riddle.
• Facing Challenges: What obstacles or challenges will they encounter during their quest? Encourage them to think about the exciting and sometimes tricky moments that will test their bravery and problem-solving skills.
• Unexpected Twist: Consider adding a surprising twist or turn in the story that keeps readers engaged and adds a touch of excitement!
• The Grand Finale: How does the story end? Will it be a happy and heartwarming conclusion? A celebration of friendship, or a moment of personal growth? Or perhaps an unexpected twist that leaves readers eager for more?

To bring their Barbie adventure to life why not utilise Busy Things’ comic strip or story summary activities? Children can add their own illustrations and photos or use our clipart library to make their Barbie’s journey even more captivating!

8. Write a Barbie Film Review:

Excited to watch the new Barbie film? Encourage your child to become a movie critic and express their thoughts by writing a film review! Remember, there are no right or wrong answers in a review—just their own unique perspective and insights!

Grab a notebook and pen, or better yet, use Busy Things publisher tool to craft the film review!

Here are some key questions to guide them:

• Was the movie as good as you expected? Share your honest opinion about the overall experience!
• What was the best part of the story? Did a particular scene or moment stand out to you?
• Were there any parts of the story you didn’t enjoy? Were any aspects that could have been better.
• Would you recommend it to a friend?
• Is there a character in the movie you like, and if so, why?
• How did the movie make you feel while you were watching it? Did it make you laugh, cry, or feel excited?

9. Favourite Barbie Survey:

Encourage your child to conduct a survey among their friends and find out who is the most popular Barbie!  Busy Things has a great, easy-to-use graph maker, perfect for displaying the survey results!

They could even take it a step further and create a campaign poster, advocating for their favourite Barbie! Busy Things offers fabulous poster templates that will help them create eye-catching posters showcasing why their Barbie is the best!

This activity not only lets them have a blast with their friends but also helps them develop valuable skills like data collection, graph creation, and persuasive communication.

10. Create Custom Barbie Name Plates:

Enhance your child’s doll role-playing experience by designing Barbie custom name plates! Get creative designing name plates with colour, patterns, stickers or drawings.

Busy Things’ custom printable name templates can help children create unique name plates

Some ideas for using name cards in play:

• Roleplaying Dinner Place Cards: Set up a charming dining table and host a special Barbie dinner party or tea time, use custom name plates as elegant place cards for each doll.
• Barbie Fashion Show: Organize a fabulous Barbie fashion show, your child can create unique outfits for each Barbie and let them strut their stuff on the runway with their names proudly displayed!
• Dream Dollhouse Decor: Let your child use name plates to add personalized touches to Barbie’s dream bedroom.

But that’s not all! Custom name tracing printables are also available on Busy Things, providing an excellent opportunity for your child to practice their handwriting skills with both cursive and pre-cursive options,

Get, Set, BARBIE!!…

With the new Barbie film creating a buzz, you have the perfect opportunity to engage your child in some entertaining AND educational activities during the school holidays.

We hope you will incorporate Busy Things into your Barbie learning experiences too! Don’t forget to claim your half price special offer code BARBIE23 to access your first month of Busy Things for just £2.24! (Renews automatically at £4.49 a month, cancel anytime).

We’d love to know what you think of our Barbie themed activities! Please let us know in the comments.