There is something so sweet about having a daughter and re-experiencing some of your favorite childhood memories. Things I hadn’t thought of in ages come flooding back when I see Emmy enjoying them – The book Corduroy, Winnie the Pooh, a play tea set. It’s just so special. I have many joyful memories of playing with American Girl Dolls with my sister growing up. We had several between us, from Bitty Baby to Molly, that we played with for years!
I don’t still have those dolls because my mom kindly gave them to a young girl in need. (She did ask me first. 🙂 )I would love to look back on them, but it was the perfect reason to get Emmy a doll of her very own. So, on our recent trip to Texas we made a stop at the Dallas American Girl Store.
The Store
A two-story building painted in the signature American Girl fuchsia was magical and hard to miss. Little girls of all ages were running about looking at dolls with their moms and dads. I was giddy to be there. My sister Sara, her husband, kids, and of course Justus all came for the family outing.
In true toddler fashion, Emmy was having a bit of a tantrum when we arrived. I say this to remind you that toddlers are toddlers, and even a special experience may have its challenges. I had to regroup with her outside for a few minutes. (Lord bless the Texas moms! It was way too hot to be reasoning with a toddler outside.) After she was able to calm down and get a fresh diaper change, we went straight to the Bitty Baby section.
The store is set up for play, which I love. Kids are free to touch anything on the shelves, and there are little areas set up like a laundry room, kitchen, etc. My friend and I used to take her daughters to the store in Stanford, California just to play, and never felt any obligation to buy anything, so it’s also a great free outing if you have one nearby. There used to be one here in Colorado, but sadly it closed.
The second level of the store had a few really fun things like a doll salon and restaurant. There is so much more to discover as Emmy gets older, and that’s what I love about the tradition of American Girl.
A Sweet Bitty Baby
Before we went to the store, I researched what doll would be age-appropriate for Emmy. The Bitty Baby is recommended for 18 months and up – a perfect first doll.
They come in a variety of skin tone and hair colors, alone or in a set with accessories. We chose Bitty Baby Doll #3 Care & Play Set for Emmy. Someday it will be fun to let her choose her own, but at this age it was more of us picking it out for her and then her getting to enjoy playing with it later at home. The day we went they were offering 20% off your entire purchase for Fourth of July weekend. I recommend looking into upcoming sales because it is an investment toy purchase, in my opinion.
Accessories
While we were there, Emmy really loved carrying around the baby in a little “travel seat”. We couldn’t resist, and ending up getting that too. It’s kind of like a play car seat/carrier.
One of my favorite influencers, @cmcoving mentioned that she planned to use the doll to teach her daughter skills using some of the fun accessories. For example, she talked about using the play snack pouch to teach her how to feed the baby or ask for snacks, etc. I like the idea of getting Emmy the potty seat and book to help her with potty training. Maybe seeing her baby using it will be inspiring.
Was it worth it?
I always have the question of how often will she play with this toy? The truth is you never truly know because toddlers are little people with tastes and preferences. However, I am happy to say that Emmy loves her baby and plays with her often. She is barely getting to the age of pretending and imagination, but it is so sweet to see her interact with the baby, give her a bottle, rock her, and try to wrap her in a blanket.
Not only was buying her the doll a fun experience, but it’s a toy she loves that will grow with her. If you played with American Girl Dolls growing up let me know your favorite one or favorite memory. Did you save yours to pass down or will you start a new tradition like me?
