OT: best baby doll for preschoolers?

[snoopy5386]

My DD's 4th bday is coming up and her new baby sister is due about 10 days later. She's never shown any real interest in baby dolls - we have one - a generic fabric body, plastic arms, legs, head doll. I'm thinking however with a baby sister around she might get more into dolls and I'd like to get her a doll and some accessories (high chair, playpen, etc) for her birthday. What is your favorite baby doll? I've looked at the bitty baby by American Girl and some of the Corolle dolls, should I go with one of these or something else? I want something that has clothes available for her to change the doll into.
Also, does the bitty baby have a plastic or cloth body? Is it poseable? Which do your kids like better - all plastic dolls or cloth bodied ones?
Relatives will be buying so luckily money is not an issue.
What do you recommend?
Thanks!

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

Hi! Congratulations on your soon to be new baby!!

I have a almost 4 year old and ironically, she carried a baby doll with her everywhere, and then when sis was born (she just turned 3) she stopped wanting the baby doll.
Kids go in cycles in my opinion.

Her favorite doll was Chou Chou baby doll for ions. For Christmas she saw a Carolle doll in a toy store so we bought it for her. She never plays with it. She is very heavy.
She is well made and very cute and great if you think she will want to dress and undress her. Her hair came in 2 pig tails, but some of her hair is sewn in place, so its hard to brush her hair.

We also bought one of the ones at Der TeddyBear in Epcot's Germany pavillion, she sits on a shelf because she had a head full of long pin curls with a German dress on.

She has a little one I picked up that you can add or deflate air into her main body torso to adjust her "softness" We had this at the hospital and said it was from the baby when she came. At the same time when DH brought her they stopped at the hospital gift shop and she picked out a toy for her new baby sister. So they both have toys from the day they first met.

Chou Chou still seems to be the doll she chooses to play with (easy to put diapers on her) and light and easy to carry around.

I dont own the AG dolls- so expensive for a "trial" run.

 

[mamaLori05]

My dd4 has always loved baby dolls. Her most favorite are the bitty babies, and the fisher price cheap little mommies dolls. Both have cloth bodies. The only problem with the fisher price one is that it is hard to find clothes for it. My dd usually puts the bitty baby clothes on it. I would check e-bay for a bitty baby. You might find a better price. I usually buy my dd's bitty babies at the Madison Children's Museum Benefit sale held in Middleton, WI. They are about $35/40 (can't totally remember) each there. However we only live about 45 minutes from the sale, so if you live out of state, I don't know it woudl be as big of a savings.

 

[mamaLori05]

And to answer your other question, my dd always prefered the cloth bodies. She has a couple hard body babies also, but they don't get played with as much.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I'm so glad you asked, I've been looking for a good baby doll to "prep" DD for her new sibling!

 

[Chiker9]

Hi,

My youngest daughter loves to play with her Baby Stella doll. It is very soft and you can buy a lot of accessories to go with her. You can buy her in different skin tones and hair color as well. Best wishes with your new baby.

 

[TheWags]

We have had hundreds of baby dolls, my SIL bought a bitty and she is the only one DD2 ever played with. When DD3 turned two we bought her one, and it's the same thing. DD1 missed the Bitty business, as she was well into the historic dolls when she should have been playing with a baby.

I must say after 7 years of very active play, they have held up well. No ripped seams, stuck eyes, etc. And these babies go biking, sledding, sky diving, etc.

 

[*Toadstool*]

My DD4 loves her bitty baby and bitty twins. That being said she still plays with all of her other dolls. We love baby chou chou as well. She likes that the bitty babies have lots of accessories and clothing. She definitely prefers soft bodies. I think the bitty babies are actually kind of big for her to carry around. When we go places she wants to take the smaller and lighter baby dolls instead most of the time. Unless she had been playing with bitty babies before it was time to leave. I'm going to be getting her a waldorf type doll soon hopefully because I just like anything that is all handmade. I'm thinking she will like them because they will definitely be light and soft.

*EDIT* oh and my DD really enjoys dolls that have eyes that open and close when they lay down.. AND if they have a tiny opening in their mouth so she can stick a bottle in there.

 

[GoinToDisney]

Mine loves her Bitty baby and her Bitty Twins. You can get matching clothes so she can match her doll, which she loves. My Twinn has some nice wooden doll furniture. The Bitty furniture is mostly plastic. Also, I have found dresses with matching doll dresses at Marshalls, and I think Sears may have some now as well.

 

[RMulieri]

My daughter LOVES her Bitty baby and her bitty baby twins.We bought bitty for her 2 years ago and the baby has held up well to my daughters rigorous play.She just got the twins for Christmas and plays all the time with all 3.She is now 6 and loves her dolls

 

[britfish]

my daughter loved a doll we got from QVC. It came with a few outfits and a spoon that when held to her mouth she slurped and a mirror that when held in front of her the baby giggled. It was a great doll. After about a year the sounds stopped working and QVC replaced it for free and the new one has been going strong for two years now!