By Richard Cerda, Vice President, JC Toys
The first one
Most of us can remember a first doll. Not the details, perhaps, but the feeling: someone small who was ours to look after, who came to bed and to the table and on every trip.
Choosing that first doll for a child you love is a lovely thing to do. It is also easier when you know what to look for at each age.
When is a child ready for a first baby doll?
Sooner than many people think. From around their first birthday, a child can hold and hug a soft doll, and by two many children are feeding, rocking and putting a baby to bed in their own way.
The surest guide is the age on the box. It is set by the laboratory that tested that doll, so it tells you who the doll was made for. Treat it as the floor rather than a suggestion. You can read how we approach testing in what actually makes a baby doll safe.
A first baby doll for a 1 year old (12 months and up)
At this age, soft and simple is right. A small soft body doll they can carry by one hand, with a face to look at and a body to squeeze.
Our La Baby 11 inch soft body dolls are graded for 12 months and up. They come in Hispanic, Asian and African American as well as other skin tones, so a child can find a baby who looks like them.
A first baby doll for a 2, 3 or 4 year old (2+)
Two is when doll play takes off. A child wants to feed, bathe, dress and push their baby, so a doll with something to do lasts longest. Our guide to the best dolls for 2 year olds covers this age in detail. A few to start with:
- La Newborn 12 inch all-vinyl nursery gift set, 25 pieces, a lifelike newborn with everything she needs. Ages 2 and up.
- Lots to Love Babies all-vinyl doll with hooded towel and bath accessories, a water-friendly baby for bath time. Ages 2 and up.
- Lil' Cutesies 8.5 inch twins stroller, two little babies and a stroller to push them in. Ages 2 and up.
Three and four year olds want more to do: more clothes, more accessories, a stroller or a bath. Choose from the dolls graded 2 and up and add to the routine as they grow.
A keepsake doll for an older child (14 and up)
Some children grow into collectors. Our Berenguer Classics 17 inch dolls are weighted and hand painted, and they are graded for 14 and up. They are made to be kept and looked after, not carried to the sandbox, so they suit an older child or teenager who will treasure one.
A doll from grandma and grandpa: gifts for a granddaughter or grandson
Grandparents often give the doll a child remembers. Our dolls are now in their second and third generation of families, and some of the children who loved them are now buying them for their own children.
If you are choosing as a grandparent, three things help.
Check the age on the box, because the right doll depends on it, not on the size of the gift.
Choose a gift set. A doll with a layette, a bath or a stroller is a gift with something to open and something to do, which makes the moment as good as the doll.
Think about a keepsake. For an older grandchild, a doll made to be kept is a gift that lasts long after the holidays.
Questions parents ask
When to get baby doll for toddler?
From around 12 months for a soft body doll graded for that age. Our La Baby 11 inch dolls are graded for 12 months and up. By two, many children enjoy a doll with accessories to care for.
What are some good soft toys for a 1-year-old baby?
A small soft body doll they can carry and hug, with no small parts and a grade of 12 months and up on the box.
Which doll is the best?
The one made for the child's age. Check the grade on the box, choose a size they can carry and pick a doll with something to do, like a bottle or a stroller.
Choose well and one day they will tell their own children about her.