Spanish toymakers help children cope with a pandemic-filled Christmas

Niloufar Saleem, Gulf Today

Restricting their interaction and keeping them indoors has left many young souls craving for some relief , at least during Christmas.

 Nancy doll wears a mask at the headquarters of Spanish toy maker Famosa, in Madrid, Spain.

Spanish doll makers are keen on bringing a breath of fresh air with their dolls that don masks for little children amid this pandemic situation.

They are hoping that their effort will help children feel a little better during an unusual Christmas in a rather unusual condition.

Approaching this holiday season with a twist, doll makers go that extra mile to make dolls that reflect the society, even in the current situation.

In the shop, some of Spanish toymaker Famosa's popular Nancy dolls were wearing a protective mask.

Another set of dolls came with a virus tester which can detect if the toy is "infected". If it is, the child can cure it by tickling it.

 A Nancy doll, one of Spain's most beloved toys, is seen wearing a protective face mask.

"Putting a mask on their dolls helps (kids) realise they need to wear one themselves," shopper Cristina Hernandez said.

In neighbouring Portugal, firm Science4You said sales of its toys related to the virus were booming, especially online as people stayed away from big shopping malls due to fear of contagion.

Though studies have showed that children are less likely than adults to get severe cases of COVID-19 infection, they can still carry the virus.