This is our first Christmas with a little girl in our house, and the little girl in me won’t let it pass by without buying a baby doll. I’ve hit the streets as well as the Internet in search of the BEST baby doll for my little sweetie girl. I am beside myself when I think about her hugging her baby for the first time. Can you just imagine?!?
If you’re feeling the same, here’s my baby doll research. My apologies that most of these are blonde-headed baby dolls. That’s mostly what was out there. I have a red-head, so I looked high and low for something that resembles my best girl.
- Carly Doll by Kids Preferred: This is a soft and sweet doll. She has several different textures on her dress and is considered a tool for tactile development. I just think she’s cute so that’s a bonus. Priced around $15 and rated for ages birth+.
- My Friend Julia by Melissa & Doug: This falls close to clown face territory for me (and I’m scared of clowns), but I wanted to include her for her soft, cuddly person and cute striped dress. She’s a great price point at only $9.99, and if you want to take a peek at her in person, Toy Works on Camp Bowie carries her. Rated ages 12 months+.
- Kidoozie Dress Me Emily: What can I say? I’m a sucker for a doll named Emily. She’s approximately $22 and has clothes that can be taken on and off and shoes to tie. And that pink purse! Love. Probably a little too advanced for my little lady, but one to keep in mind. Rated ages 1+. Also found locally in at Toy Works.
- Corolle 12 inch Babipouce: At nearly $40, this is the most expensive of the bunch, but this was the most classic baby doll I could find. I’m a traditionalist, so I’m a sucker for this doll. She’s rated for ages birth+. Bonus: she has reddish-brown bangs peeking out of her hat! Score for me!
- Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby’s First Doll: Soft and cuddly, and rated for ages 1 month+. Beware: this is the only one of the 6 that makes noise. She’s got a rattle inside. This doll has great ratings online, but note that she is found in your local big box retailer for $9.99, almost $10 cheaper than she’s found online. Make a lap through the toy aisle when you go in for wrapping paper!
- Pumpkin by Blabla Kids: We have experience with one of the Blabla animals for my son, and I love it. It washes well in case of emergency. Bonus that this one is a red-head like my little princess! The mini size is perfect for littles and priced at $44. They make several different styles/hair colors/animals. Rated for 6 months+. You can find an assortment of Blabla dolls locally at Babies on the Boulevard.
I hope this helps you on your search to find the perfect baby doll for your own sweet cheeks. Here’s to those magical Christmas morning moments!
What dolls do your little girls love?
Abigail (age 2) has BlaBla dolls and Corolle dolls and many other randoms. I have found she does NOT like the ones with hair – she would rather pretend to brush a bald baby than mess with that icky hair. She LOVES her Corolle dolls best! Thanks Emily – LOVE LOVE LOVE this article.
I just bought my 18 month old a 12 inch Corolle doll too! I also bought her the accessory set, an extra outfit, a cradle, a highchair… oh boy, here we go! 🙂 Great post!
I don’t have a little girl. Just twin boys. But my first baby doll was Madame Alexander. Still have it. Will hopefully be passing it down one day. If not this generation. Then the next.
My oldest sleeps with her toddler Corolle doll every night. My youngest is getting her own from Santa this year. So precious!!!
Amen sister, do I know about shopping for dolls! Something we white girls take for granted, no doubt. Ever tried finding a good selection of dark-skinned dolls? It’s a lot harder than you think. We searched high and low for a soft, dark-skinned doll when we brought our little gal home. I was sad to walk the aisles at locals stores to see few, if any, dark-skin dolls to choose from. But we found a great option at Pottery Barn Kids. Here’s the link: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/soft-baby-dolls-gretta-and-darcy/?pkey=dgirls-toys&
I’m getting this for my biracial niece. We have a blonde for my eldest and a brunette for my youngest. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CLT3ZK0/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1387392581&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
Madame Alexander dolls. Both girls got one on their first Christmas!
It would have been nice to see/include a pic of at least one doll with a tan, dark hair, or something. It really cannot be that hard to find an image that represent something for ALL little girls/mothers to choose from.
The last site she listed…The Blabla kids site, has kids of color and different hair colors, too! 😉 I wish I’d heard of them earlier, because they are really really cute!
So fun! My sweet aunt gave both girls one similar to #1 when they were born. (We call them Dolly One and Dolly Two because we are super creative.) They are so, so soft, so it worked well as a “first” for us. When Nina was born, we gave C the “practice” baby we had been using that looks a lot like a newborn. She’s not soft at all, but C still loves carrying around her Baby Melissa! I still have almost all of mine from when I was a little girl, so I’ll be passing those along as they get older, too.
Cracker Barrel has a GREAT first doll in all colors of skin and hair. Plus accessories to go with it. Brand is Butterflies .
You are so right! Mimi gave our sweetie one of the dark-skinned dolls with LOTS of hair. She plays “hair” all the time with that doll. Love it!
We got a soft-bodied Baby Stella doll for our daughter’s first baby doll. She is very cute and cuddly.
We love the Baby Stella doll too. Very simple, but there are also lots of add ons and accessories if you want to go that route. She’s been a favorite of ours. Love the magnetic paci. http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy-130080-Stella-Peach/dp/B001R6W4KA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417529901&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+stella
My nearly 4-year-old has had a Pumpkin Blabla since the baby shower. She has loved it since the beginning. As a baby she chewed on the hands, feet, and hair. As a toddler she was fascinated by the skirt and bird. As a preschooler who needs a lot of physical comforting, she takes this doll everywhere for its excellent, soft hugs.