wendyroo Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 (edited) DD is turning 5 next month. Her big gift will be a room makeover - out with the old, boring "nursery" color scheme and in with the big girl pink!! I also have several ideas for slippers, books, art supplies, etc. What I am completely stuck on is an actual toy. Something fun she can play with. She is not a big lego or building fan. She doesn't play much with baby dolls. She tolerates board games if she can convince others to play with her, but has no interest in single player logic games. She despises puzzles. She seems most drawn to characters and story telling. She has a Haba-like dollhouse with plenty of people and pets. She also has a couple Playmobile Fairies sets. She plays with both of those quite a bit, but I'm loathe to add on more components because they are already at the limits of her ability to clean up and keep track of the little pieces. Plus it doesn't feel like having more would necessarily improve the play...in fact, I worry it would be overwhelming instead. I wouldn't be opposed to something with a few electronic bells and whistles. She has a LeapFrog light up, music-playing toddler drum that she still pulls out often. She has a little toy bird that whistles at her and repeats what she says in a "birdy" voice - that is still a favorite after 2 years. She also has a stuffed dog that barks and makes other noises, which is her most played with stuffed animal. But she has had all of those things for years and seems to be growing out of them. Maybe I'm looking for some type of moving/talking/responding unicorn or fairy or girl superhero? Or is there a line of dolls like Barbie but for younger kids? I know some very young kids play with Barbie, but I have no interest in that. But I think she might like "big girl" dolls (elementary age vs. baby dolls) who she could dress and use to act out stories. Bonus points if we could get a horse for them to ride or if they could go in the bathtub. Any ideas? Thanks. Edited October 14, 2020 by wendyroo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 She's a bit younger than the suggested age for American Girl dolls, but lots of our dds' contemporaries received them at your dd's age. They would have the elementary school focus and plenty of stories, and oh boy do they have horses. Not good for the tub, though. We also got some nice poseable dolls at Target which were smaller than Barbies and had more girlish bodies. I'm trying to remember what they were called. They had pretty faces, hair that could be combed, soft bodies, lots of clothing options, vet clinic kits, ballet kits, and horse kits... I'm blanking on the name but someone may recognize the description. I really liked them, and older dd did too for a while. This was more than ten years ago, though, so I don't know if they're still available. I'll try to track down the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 Something like American Girl dolls? There are other dolls the same size--I think Target has a line. They come with realistic accessories and such, and if any family gift givers are into sewing, you can get patterns for their clothes. My niece really enjoys hers. What about a dress up bin? It wouldn't have to be all girly costumes or premade costumes--it can be accessories. I was shocked at how much my boys used their dress up stuff, and almost none of it was stuff that came as a set or was polished. They happily found what was close enough and made it work. One of mine was into pretend play, and one was into elaborate mimicry of real life tasks. If she is willing to mix her playsets, you might go with Safari figurines (or other brands). They have many, many themes, but aren't just a bunch of small pieces. It would expand her sets without adding those small pieces that are more difficult to pick up. My imaginative kid always mixed up sets of things and made extremely elaborate sets. Later he got into doing stop animation with them. Maybe she'd like an app for that. I know whatever my kids use is free. Does she enjoy household tasks? Crafts? If so, there are sometimes fun kits for baking or crafting that are not super involved. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 I think this is the sort of American Girl doll that Target has: https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=our+generation 6 minutes ago, Innisfree said: They had pretty faces, hair that could be combed, soft bodies, lots of clothing options, vet clinic kits, ballet kits, and horse kits... Yes, they have a lot of variety--not pigeonholing girls into certain roles, but they also have lots of accessories and ways to make playing with them fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 2 minutes ago, OKBud said: Oh! Schleich! It's so well-made. Yes, that's the other figurine company! https://store.safariltd.com/collections/fantasy-toys My son collected heavily from this category, lol! Knights and dragons and mythology were his thing. He loves myth books and books with folktales from all over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jessica* Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 Lottie Dolls! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 4 minutes ago, OKBud said: Oh! Schleich! It's so well-made. We've got the farm, bayala and an older castle set. https://www.schleich-s.com/en/US/ Dress up bin is a great idea too. That's what my 5-10 year old girls played with nonstop. In fact, both my girls still have theirs and will probably pass them on to their own kids. (My girls are 18 and 15) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 2 minutes ago, *Jessica* said: Lottie Dolls! Those look sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 You said that she likes story telling. Would she maybe like puppets? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 (edited) nice poseable dolls at Target.... I'll try to track down the name. Quoting myself because I figured out what they were: Only Hearts Club Dolls. They're available on Amazon, but way more expensive than they used to be, and maybe no longer being manufactured? https://www.amazon.com/s?k=only+hearts+club+dolls&ref=nb_sb_noss Calico Critters were a big hit at that age also, and yes, Schleich! One of my girl would have loved a castle to go with her Schleich ladies, knights, and dragons; the other enjoyed a barn and animals. Editing to add another link: maybe the dolls are still being made. This company is new to me, but they have an assortment. http://mailjust4me.com/crafts/onlyheartsclubdolls.html Edited September 17, 2020 by Innisfree 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusyMom5 Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 Perfect age for American Girl, they have a set of smaller dolls with their own stories- Wellie Wishers- that might also be a good option. My other idea is play doh, art supplies- my girls love the sparkly water color paint from Hobby Lobby, or an outside toy like a round swing, Rip Razor (the most played on toy at our house). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jentrovert Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 American Girl - style dolls (we have just the cheaper ones, Our Generation, or something like that, from Target. Walmart also has a line. We mix and match accessories. Our play kitchen items have gotten a lot of use at all ages up through now, the more "real" looking, the better. We have a large number of farm figurines and props. Cattle, sheep, pigs, tractors, trucks, trailers, barns, hay and baler . . . on and on. Dd8 wasn't yet into art supplies at 5. Ds7 still isn't much. Dress up bin with a variety of clothes and props is used almost daily. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted September 17, 2020 Author Share Posted September 17, 2020 Thank you all. She (and the other kids) have a ton of crafts, play doh, dress up, outside toys. She is going to very excited by her room makeover (which she already knows is happening and is helping design) and her new unicorn slippers and the Fancy Nancy books she has been asking for, but I want to make sure there is a surprise for her to open that elicits that "WOW!! I want to play with that right now!!" feeling. I think I am leaning toward a line of dolls. Bigger than her doll house dolls (which have the clothes glued on and can't really do many things) and smaller than her baby dolls (which can't really ride horses or go on adventures on account of being babies). I think she wants to be able to change the dolls' clothes, but she still has young fingers, so nothing too tiny and fiddly...I can only spend as much time doing up doll buttons as I do popping lego minifigure arms back on for the boys. I want dolls that look like kids - not babies, not bratty teenagers, and not adults. I want to keep the price reasonable so that she can start out with at least two dolls, a couple extra outfits, and preferably one "extra" (probably a horse if available). And ideally I would like dolls that are a pretty common size. We shop a lot at the thrift store, and DD is a flexible player, so if they are anywhere in the right size range she will happily use them with random Barbie and other doll cars, accessories, furniture even if they don't fit perfectly. I will definitely look at the links you guys provided. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 There are some Fancy Nancy dolls that might work. I am thinking about getting one for my almost-3 niece for Christmas, but I haven't checked yet to see what's available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippiemamato3 Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 Lottie dolls, American Girl Wellie Wishers (slightly smaller dolls for younger girls - I just got one for my niece turning 5 tomorrow) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 4 hours ago, wendyroo said: I think she wants to be able to change the dolls' clothes, but she still has young fingers, so nothing too tiny and fiddly...I can only spend as much time doing up doll buttons as I do popping lego minifigure arms back on for the boys. I want dolls that look like kids - not babies, not bratty teenagers, and not adults. I want to keep the price reasonable so that she can start out with at least two dolls, a couple extra outfits, and preferably one "extra" (probably a horse if available). And ideally I would like dolls that are a pretty common size. I think the Target dolls are basically a "universal" size and often have sales at gift-giving times, but some of the other brands might as well. I think you can narrow doll clothes searches by doll height and come up with a lot of options. IIRC, the clothes are all fastened with velcro. Would she be excited about a matching outfit with her doll? That was really a big thing for my niece--she had matching jammies or a matching outfit on her wish list one year for the holidays, and some brands offer that with their doll clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted September 17, 2020 Author Share Posted September 17, 2020 6 minutes ago, kbutton said: Would she be excited about a matching outfit with her doll? That was really a big thing for my niece--she had matching jammies or a matching outfit on her wish list one year for the holidays, and some brands offer that with their doll clothes. That is a great idea! She insists on trying to match her outfits to mine every day...which can be challenging since she owns significantly more pink/sparkle/unicorn clothing than I do. 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 2 minutes ago, wendyroo said: she owns significantly more pink/sparkle/unicorn clothing than I do. Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 (edited) My favorite younger than Barbie dolls are Only Hearts Club. They went out of production years ago but you can still find new in box dolls on ebay. They are really cute, all my girls have played with them and I recently got more for my five year old. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=only+hearts+club&_trksid=p2535124.m4084.l1311&_sacat=0 Edited September 17, 2020 by maize 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jentrovert Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 1 hour ago, kbutton said: I think the Target dolls are basically a "universal" size and often have sales at gift-giving times, but some of the other brands might as well. I think you can narrow doll clothes searches by doll height and come up with a lot of options. IIRC, the clothes are all fastened with velcro. Would she be excited about a matching outfit with her doll? That was really a big thing for my niece--she had matching jammies or a matching outfit on her wish list one year for the holidays, and some brands offer that with their doll clothes. Yes, all generic 18" doll clothes and accessories (at least, all I have seen, at Hobby Lobby, WM, Target, Ebay, etc) work on them all. We've gotten a number of things from winter sales. Our first 18" doll came from Goodwill; she was in perfect shape except for her hair. Don't even ask how long I spent untangling it. By the end I wished I'd just spent $25 at Target! Lol Dd went through several years of dolls as a special interest (ASD1), but even after that interest gradually faded and was replaced by another, she still enjoys them. They've held up well. The matching clothes are so cute! By the time I was aware of them, dd was beginning to phase out and I didn't get any. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 (edited) How about Breyer dolls and horses? https://www.breyerhorses.com/collections/playsets ETA: The Traditional scale (1:9) horses have 8" dolls. The Freedom / Classic scale (1:12) horses have 6" dolls. You can poke around the website and also find them on Amazon. Edited September 18, 2020 by MercyA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 (edited) If you want a "universal" type doll for whom you can find lots of clothes, accessories, furniture, horses, and pets second-hand, you might want to consider an 11.5" (Barbie-sized) doll that is not actually a Barbie. Some of the Disney Princess dolls are cute and about that size. My daughter dresses them in Barbie clothing and it's not super apparent that they were originally princess dolls. Or perhaps Barbie's younger sister, Skipper, would do? There are a lot of cute playsets for her, including several babysitting ones, and she could use Barbie horses and furniture. You can find lovely clothes for her on Etsy. ETA: "Official" Disney Princess dolls and Mattel / Skipper dolls are relatively bathtub safe. There is a nice line of Barbie mermaids and fairies and the mermaids are specifically made to be played with in water. (They might have some trouble riding horses, though! 😉 ) Edited September 18, 2020 by MercyA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 Magna tiles or marble run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted October 14, 2020 Author Share Posted October 14, 2020 UPDATE Tomorrow is Audrey's birthday. After some online browsing, she fell in love with a Kindi Kid. Really, what's not to love - the package says that she talks, burps and toot! Unfortunately, extra clothing for Kindi Kids is hard to come by, so I ended up making them their matching outfits...well, I bought for Audrey and then sewed one to match it. The bedroom is now "Little Bow Pink", the requested heart-shaped pink lemonade cake is cooling as we speak, and Audrey lost her second tooth today so will be kicking off her birthday with tooth fairy money. It is good to be 5!! 😀 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippiemamato3 Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 (edited) 41 minutes ago, wendyroo said: UPDATE Tomorrow is Audrey's birthday. After some online browsing, she fell in love with a Kindi Kid. Really, what's not to love - the package says that she talks, burps and toot! Unfortunately, extra clothing for Kindi Kids is hard to come by, so I ended up making them their matching outfits...well, I bought for Audrey and then sewed one to match it. The bedroom is now "Little Bow Pink", the requested heart-shaped pink lemonade cake is cooling as we speak, and Audrey lost her second tooth today so will be kicking off her birthday with tooth fairy money. It is good to be 5!! 😀 Oh funny! My niece asked for a Kindi Kid for her birthday and I had no idea what it was! ETA: No, I was wrong. She wants 2 Kinby Baby dolls. Glad I figured it out! Edited October 14, 2020 by hippiemamato3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Oh my goodness, I love the matching outfits!!! Good job, mom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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