Dolls (Barbies, etc?) for 3 year old

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Hi all - Megan's turning 3 soon and I'm looking at maybe getting her some sort of dolls.  She's big on imaginative play - pretending the dolls are talking to each other, etc, so I thought she might like this.  I browsed in the toy store yesterday and saw Barbies, Mini-Barbies, and Polly Pockets, which are seemed cute and versatile.  I guess I'm hoping to start with some *system* and stick with it, IYKWIM! Any experiences with any of these?

I found the Barbies really big (I don't remember them being that big or that expensive!) but the dream house was....dreamy!  THe mini-Barbies seemed like a cute alternative, but there's not as much stuff to go with them.  And the Polly Pockets are cute too, but I worry that they'll break too easily...

Maybe I'm overthinking this....

[macsmum]

you tend to get alot of little bits with polly pocket, that end up all over the place, my dd is 6 and loves her barbie dolls and stuff she has had all her older sisters hand me downs and then her own bits added to it

[mcruari]

I personally prefered a bigger/chunkier doll for my DD at that age. I managed to get a great cloth doll who had a whole range of clothes and family and wardrobe and life size dolls and kids clothes - Clarissa loves her

Here she is...

http://www.imaginarium.ie/vie/TiendaProducto.asp?aspidProducto=36235

[RachelC]

How about a doll house?  Paige LOVES hers (got it for Christmas when she was 3.5) and there are soooo many add-ons!  http://www.fisher-price.com/us/lovingfamily/products/dollhouse.asp?show=dollhouse

I'm not a fan of the whole Barbie thing and I think Polly Pockets just has too many little pieces, IYKWIM. 

[tylersmommy]

My niece is 3 and LOVES that Fisher Price dollhouse that Rachel mentioned. Tyler loves it too, except that he calls it a "train station."

I don't recommend Polly Pockets. There are so many tiny pieces for babies to stick in their mouths. We were at a friend's house and I was constantly fishing stuff out of Mackenzie's mouth.

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Cool - Rachel and Melissa - a dollhouse was how this whole thing started!    I always wanted one and I KNOW she'd love it - I didn't see the Fisher Price one when I went browsing but it looks amazing.  I'd much rather go that route I think - she already loves her Fisher Price farm (and we may have some hand-me-down Barbies in our future anyway, if my niece ever decides she's too old for them ).

I think you've sold me. 

[mailophobic]

i was going to suggest a doll house too do you have a toy called pinypon wher you live? its great for that age and it has lots of accessories to change a bit so the kids dont get bored. I had a farm as a child and loved it =)

[Jaime]

just wanted to 3rd the rec on the FP dollhouse - jaina loves hers too!! 

[Katie]

we love our Fp doll house but in saying that Tia LOVEs her barbies too 

[Karin3]

I agree with the polly pockets.  They are really small and hard to keep up with.

At my FIL's house they have the Fisher Price doll house.  I think they got it at Toys R' Us.  It's a huge hit.  Caroline (age 7), and the cousins (ages 3 & 5) play for hours with the doll house.

[Deb_in_oz]

definitely recomend small dollhouse.  also how about cabbage patch kid + accessories.  there is hair to brush or put in a ponytail or braids, clothes to dress them (and not the teeny tiny barbie clothes etc), can be wrapped to put to bed in a doll cradle etc  My kids inherited the 5 KPK my sister and I had and they get played with along with the 800 other stuffed dolls / animals / barbies we have (BTW with barbies you can get simple cheaper ones rather than the special ones they release.  i got ours at the supermarket for $5 each and the convertible car for $15 and that is the girls' "barbie collection" thus far)

[Erin M]

Do you have Groovy Girls by you?  Very cool -- much more "girl power" than Barbie, and soft instead of hard plastic.  I love the FP dollhouse too, thinking of getting it for Katie soon.