Comparison Barbie Fashionistas Ken FNH42 vs Enchantimals Kitchen Fun FRH47

The minimum age of a child for which a doll is considered suitable. These recommendations, of course, are somewhat arbitrary — after all, a month or two before the calendar birthday, the child can already correspond in terms of development to an older age. Nevertheless, it is still extremely undesirable to deviate from them. The fact is that the “older” the doll, the more complex it is, the more different items it can be supplemented with and the smaller the details that make up the doll itself and these items.

Therefore, buying an inappropriate doll for a small child is fraught with two dangers. First, young children tend to put objects in their mouths, and small items can get into the esophagus or airways. Secondly, faced with a toy that is too complex, the baby may be upset and even scared, thus gaining an undesirable negative experience (which may result in a fear of all dolls in general). Also note that some dolls (for example, the popular Monster High brand) are made in a "creepy" design based on monster stories; this is usually normal for older children, but can scare the baby.

- Girl. “Female” dolls made in the form of newborn babies, little girls, young girls, cartoon heroines, etc. Often these dolls have long hair (they can have different hairstyles), and the set comes with beautiful dresses, shoes and all kinds of accessories for dressing up.

- Boy. “Male” dolls in the form of boys, youths or men. Such models have pronounced masculine facial features, and their haircut is mostly short. Often intended to be played in pairs with a girl doll.

The series to which the doll belongs. Many manufacturers release characters that are combined in a series — usually related to a certain theme. This makes it easier to choose a model that is interesting for the child.

The total height of the figurine in an upright position, in other words, the “growth” of the doll. Products of famous brands often have a standard height — for example, for Monster High it is 26 cm, for Barbie — 29 cm.

— Bends arms. This feature means that the doll's arms have joints, flexures, or other special devices for bending at the elbows and/or wrists. The ability to turn at the shoulder does not count as flexion.

— Bends legs. The ability to bend the doll's legs at the knees and/or ankles — due to special devices like articulated "joints". Turning at the point of attachment of the leg (at the hip joint) is not considered flexion.

— Closes eyes. The doll's ability to close and open its eyes. The mechanics in such systems are adjusted in such a way that the eyes close in the horizontal position of the figure and open when returning to the vertical position. Thanks to this, the child can "put to sleep" and "wake up" the doll.

— Makes sounds / sings. The presence of various sound effects in the design of the doll. Such effects can range from the usual "tweeters" familiar from classic baby dolls, to electronic modules that can play entire fragments of songs, repeat phrases of a speaking person, etc. Many dolls with this feature require battery power.

— Light effects. Various lighting effects can be used both in the doll itself (for example, luminous eyes, “magic” illuminated wings, etc.), and in additional items included in the delivery set...(car headlights, house windows and lights, etc.). Anyway, they give the toys an attractive appearance and make them more interesting for the child. All such models require power — usually batteries are used.

— It flies. Dolls that can fly. One of the most popular varieties of such toys is fairies, in which the wings can rotate around the belt in the manner of a screw. Another option is a doll with an aircraft (for example, a quadcopter) in the kit.

— Changes style. Dolls for which it is possible to radically change the appearance. Specific ways of such changes may be different, they should be specified separately in each case. For example, there are often dolls with long hair that can be styled in different hairstyles, curled, straightened, complemented with multi-coloured strands, etc. Another popular option is additional clothes and shoes in the kit, for “dressing up”. There are also more exotic solutions — for example, a mermaid doll with a removable tail worn on the legs.

The doll has a baby in its belly. The original variety of dolls, copying pregnant women. To do this, a recess is made in the stomach, in which the baby figure is located, and the recess is covered by a removable cover that imitates the rounded belly of the expectant mother. In addition, baths, cradles and other baby accessories are often included in the kit; and the baby figurine can be obtained by turning the “pregnant” doll into a “mom doll”.

Note that the set of functions of modern dolls is not limited to this — manufacturers can provide other possibilities and effects, sometimes very original (for example, a baby doll that "pees" after being given water to drink).

Additional items sold with the doll. The variety of such items is very large, here are some of their varieties and the nuances associated with them:

- Additional clothing/shoes. This feature means that the set includes 2 sets of clothes or shoes, and the doll can be changed. "Own" clothing that is on the doll does not count as an additional item.

— Fashion accessories and cosmetic items: handbags, mirrors, combs, tiaras, glasses, etc. Such items can be both purely toy and quite functional: for example, some dolls have long hair that can be styled using the combs and elastic bands supplied.

- Furnishings and decorations: furniture, household appliances, indoor and garden plants, entire rooms, kitchens and even houses with the surrounding area.

– Professional tools and accessories: doctor’s stethoscope and thermometer, chef’s cap and apron, musician’s instrument,

- Food and drinks: coffee cups, food trays, ice cream boxes, etc.

- Sports equipment: balls, rackets.

- Magic accessories: magic wands, witchcraft books, wings, mermaid tails.

- Animals: pets (normal and fantastic), horses.

– Transport : cars, mo...torcycles, boats, bicycles, rollers.