Best Toys

Dolls were one of the very first toys introduced to mankind.  Many decades ago, all dolls were handmade by a mother or grandmother, and a girl might only have one doll to play with.  When the toy companies took off, dolls were one of the first things they started producing, and they were an instant hit.  Today, there is a dizzying selection of different dolls made by a long list of different companies.  When your little girl asks for a doll for the holidays or her birthday, the parents’ job of shopping is made no easier by the vast array of possible choices. Below is a list of the best dolls for kids in each category…

Best Baby Dolls

Baby dolls are the toys that many moms grew up with.  Some are made of cloth, some are made of plastic or rubber, and some are made of a combination of materials.  They don’t really do much except lay there are look cute, but parents like them because they don’t require batteries and don’t make any noise.  These dolls also tend to be the least expensive choice.  Girls can pretend give one of these dolls a bottle, wrap them up and rock them, push them in a stroller, and generally mother them all day.  Little girls love to be little caretakers for their dolls, and there is nothing wrong with allowing girls to develop these nurturing behaviors from a young age.

Interactive dolls are baby dolls that can talk, cry, and move in addition to having very life-like bodily functions.  Some of the more advanced ones are capable of responding to a child’s voice.  Girls love these dolls because they can have a doll that is remarkably similar to a real live baby.  When your little girl gives the doll water out of a special baby bottle, the baby will wet her diaper.  When the girl feeds the doll the special baby food that comes with the doll, then the doll will make a poopy in her diaper.  Girls really like to be able to change a doll’s diaper when there is actually something in the diaper.  One of the interactive dolls on the market can actually make a cute little belch sound.  It’s no wonder girls have such fun with these toys.

Must-Have Barbie Dolls & Acessories

Barbie is a brand of dolls that has been around for decades. There are dozens of different dolls available in several different lines, and Mattel also offers a line of play sets that Barbie can play in. There are also hundreds of different outfits and sets of shoes and accessories so that girls can change her Barbie dolls into a thousand different combinations in apparel. There are special Barbies released from time to time, like holiday themed dolls or dolls based on movie stars or popular musicians or characters from movies and TV shows.

Fashion dolls are dress up dolls that girls can use for pretend play. They have different outfits so that girls can change the clothes they are wearing, and they can also change their jewelry, accessories, and even style their hair. These dolls are more appropriate for girls in the seven to ten year age range, because sometimes changing the clothes on one of these dolls requires a little patience and they ability to hold your mouth just right. Barbie dolls are a good example of fashion dolls, also referred to as dress up dolls.

These types of dolls also generally have other products available, such as cars for the dolls to drive, horses for the dolls to ride, swimming pools, houses, and lots of other fun items.

Best Barbie Houses

Dollhouses are little houses that you daughter’s dolls can “play” in. There are different dollhouses available for different types and brands of dolls, and they are available in very simple, small travel dollhouses with handles in the top to very large, extremely elaborate versions that you place in your daughter’s room and then leave there until she outgrows it. These larger types of doll houses generally have many, many accessories and furniture available for separate purchase, so your little girl can decorate the rooms the way she wants them. These dollhouses can provide many hours of entertainment for your child and her friends.

Best Barbie Series

Barbie & The Diamond Castle

Pink-Label Collector Dolls

Madame Alexander

Madame Alexander is a line of dolls that looks very much like the old porcelain dolls. They have painted faces and some are dressed in old- style Victorian dress. These dolls are for little girls who love fancy, beautiful dolls. There are accessories available to go with these dolls. The best part about these dolls is that there are so many different dolls available to choose from. There are dozens of different themes, and each doll looks pretty much the same- it’s the outfit that changes (and in some cases, the skin tone- as in the case of the Wicked Witch of Oz dolls- her skin is blue). There is a Madame Alexander doll for every character in the entire Wizard of Oz movie world. There are Halloween and Christmas dolls, ballerina dolls, Cinderalla dolls, an Amelia Earhart doll, and there is also a whole set of smaller Wendy dolls.

Baby Alive Dolls

Baby Alive is a line of interactive baby dolls for the little girl who would rather play with a baby than a doll.  These babies are truly amazing in their range of capabilities.  They blink, they cry, they laugh, they drink from a bottle, they eat baby food, and they pee and poop in their diapers just like real babies do.  There are several different versions, and the dolls are available in African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian versions.  There are lots of accessories available for these dolls, as well as some nursery furniture.

Cabbage Patch Kids

Cabbage Patch Kids are a brand of baby dolls created in 1978.  They were wildly popular when they were introduced, and their popularity among little girls lasted for several years.  Cabbage Patch Kids are still available in stores, as well as clothing sets, nursery furniture and other accessories.  The Cabbage Patch Kids are very distinctive with their rugged good looks and trademark buttock signature.  Their hair comes in many different colors, and is generally made of small loops of yarn.  There are other varieties besides the Cabbage Patch Kids, such as Preemies, to offer a more baby- style of doll to girls who might prefer those to a pretend child.  There are accessories sold for these dolls, like baby furniture and extra sets of clothes and shoes.  Cabbage Patch Dolls are now quite reasonably priced, even though they were prohibitively expensive when they were first released over thirty years ago.

Polly Pocket

Polly Pocket is a line of dress up dolls that is very portable. The dolls and their houses are small, so girls can take them anywhere with them for portable dress up fun. There are many different dolls available in the Polly Pocket line, and there are also several different houses and play sets to choose from. The portability of this line of dolls is what have made them so popular, and that is also where they got their name.

Bratz

Bratz dolls are another brand of dress up dolls, most likely introduced as competition for the wildly popular line of Barbie dolls.  These dolls have a very different look than the impossible beauty of Barbie.  Bratz dolls have very large heads, huge eyes, short torsos and very long legs with shoes that snap off.  The four original doll characters, Cloe, Yasmin, Sasha and Jade, have been joined by a large group of new friends.  There are clothing and accessories available for the dolls, as well as shoes, pets and play sets, even cars.

Dora the Explorer started out as a fun, educational TV show designed to be educational for preschool kids and to introduce them to the Spanish language and the Latin culture.  Since then, it has grown quickly into a full line of merchandise, toys and dolls for girls.  There are several different kinds of Dora the explorer dolls.  There is a line of small dolls and several play sets to go with them- even a pony for Dora to ride.  There is a line of Dora Mermaid dolls, a set of baby twins, and a line of bigger Dora dolls that are big enough for your daughter to set up at the table for tea parties.  There is a whole set of collecting Dora dolls, one who is dressed up in her pretty Quinceanera dress, a cowgirl, a fairy tale Dora, an on the go Dora, and several others in addition to the backpack- toting Dora you know so well.  The dolls in this collection are about four inches tall and poseable.  Another favorite with little girls is the larger Buenas Noches Dora, who is soft, cuddly, and ready for bedtime.

American Girl is a whole line of dolls designed to empower girls through fun play that also has a historical component.  There are dolls designed to represent different periods in our country’s proud history, and the dolls are designed to show girls what they came become if they simply believe in their own personal power.  These dolls are larger than the average doll, and they all have a story behind them.  The Just Like You doll line is designed to give girls a doll that looks just like them (as much as possible), and you can choose the doll’s eye color, hair color, and skin tone to look just like your daughter.  Girls really love this doll because they say it is like having a twin sister who looks just like them.  These dolls also fall into the category of dress up dolls because accessories are available to go with these dolls so that girls can dress in the exact same outfit that their doll wears.  There is also a line of Bitty Baby toy dolls designed for girls as young as age three.

With so many different types of dolls and different brands to choose from, you’ll surely be able to find the doll that is just right for your daughter.  If you’re still not sure though, there is another option available to you.  You can always decide to take your daughter to the store in person, so she can look at all the choices and pick out the one she wants- with your help of course.  This way, there is no chance of buying her the wrong one.  Being able to go to the store and pick out her own present might just be a memory that she holds dear for years to come.  After she has picked the one she wants, you can always stop by the gift wrapping paper aisle and pick out a cute little gift bag that you can ask the cashier to use at the checkout instead of the store’s bags.  That way, she can leave the store carrying her wrapped birthday present, and she will be so happy that she was able to have this experience with mom.

How to Pick the Right Doll for Your Child

The first thing to do would be to ask your child, if she’s old enough, to tell you exactly what the doll she wants looks like.  Ask her if it’s a doll she’s seen on TV and if so, ask her to show you the commercial next time it comes on.  If she doesn’t know what kind, she just wants a doll, or you are buying her one for a present without her having asked for it, then start with the age recommendations on the package for any doll you are thinking of buying for her.  If the doll with likely be used for cuddling at bedtime and just carrying it around with her, then one of the dolls available with a soft head and body may be just the ticket.  If she will most likely want to sit the doll at the table and feed her, then a firm plastic doll with joints that move might be the right choice.  Older girls may really enjoy Barbie dolls or Bratz dolls, as these dolls are an endless source of dress up fun for girls in a fairly wide age range.