Our eight doll recommendations include a plush baby that comes in different skin tones, a superhero kid (with a matching cape for their real-life sidekick), and a perennial favorite with preschool teachers, among others. We focused on dolls that are diverse and inclusive-featuring a range of skin tones, facial characteristics, and hair colors, textures, and styles-as well as those that highlight different cultural backgrounds, gender expressions, and abilities. We interviewed child development experts, spoke with a doll manufacturer, and ultimately tested the dolls with 40 children in four preschool classrooms.
To create this list, we spent over 40 hours researching and playing with 25 dolls made by 16 different companies. And experts are zeroing in on another developmental benefit of dolls: their ability to increase empathy. A doll can also invite a kid to celebrate their own identity, explore those of others, and see their wants and needs reflected back to them in instructive and meaningful ways. For a child, a doll can be a playmate, an adventure partner, someone to take care of, and a friend when life gets hard or scary.