US project to release therapeutic dolls for transgender children as young as four

Researchers at the University of Minnesota in the United States are preparing to launch MyGender Dolls in 2026, a set of paper dolls for clinicians and educators working with transgender and gender-diverse children ages four to 10. Breitbart reported on July 26 , citing the New York Post, that the sets would appear in some Minnesota classrooms this fall. The project’s official website, however, confirms only a 2026 launch for clinical and educational settings and names neither specific schools nor a delivery date.

According to an annual report by the university’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Health , the concept resembles traditional paper dolls: children can select images of bodies, genitals, clothing and other accessories to communicate about their bodies and genders. The figures vary in age, body shape and skin color. A 2024 report described the sets as a tool for licensed therapists, patients and their parents or caregivers.

The MyGender Dolls website now lists a broader group of intended users: mental health providers, school counselors and educators, pediatricians and other health professionals. The developers describe the sets as a developmentally appropriate, research-informed way to help children tell their stories and see themselves represented. The project is grounded in a gender-affirming approach.

The source of the funding remains disputed. Breitbart and the New York Post described the project as taxpayer-funded and linked it to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. University records confirm that MyGender Dolls received an internal Early Innovation Fund award in 2023; awards in that program then ranged from $3,000 to $10,000. The project’s exact award and the source of those funds have not been published. Annual reports also refer to grants and donations, while the university told the New York Post that public money was not used to commercialize the dolls. The official documents reviewed do not show that Walz personally made a decision to fund the project.

Quentin Van Meter, a former president of the American College of Pediatricians, criticized the project , arguing that younger children cannot yet fully understand the permanence of biological sex and that the sets could confuse them. The developers, by contrast, present play as a way to support transgender and gender-diverse children and make conversations with therapists, educators or parents easier.