Mumsnet users share their memories of playing with dolls with Baby Annabell

[LucyBMumsnet]

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Most people have some fond memories of playing with dolls in their childhood, from sweetly changing their nappy and rocking them to sleep, to taking them everywhere or ‘customising’ what they look like. Baby Annabell would like to find out more about your memories of playing with dolls, as well as how your children play with their dolls.

What was your doll’s name, and do you still like it now? Did your doll cry real tears, drink real water, burp after feeding, or need its nappy changing? Or did you have to make pretend because the technology wasn’t available yet? What were your favourite games to play with your doll? How does your child play with dolls now? How does it differ from how you played with dolls?

Share your memories on this thread and you will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £300 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

It allowed my DD to build a world from her imagination and role play various professions and lives. Intriguing to watch her play.

My favourite doll was a rag doll called Anna, she had huge eyes!
I remember taking her to school at around age 9 & still playing with her at that age, wouldn’t happen now! Good memories

I had a doll's house. Not a particularly expensive one but it had a red roof and it felt magical. I loved playing out domestic scenarios with my dolls in that house. Back then I had such a vivid imagination it felt like anything was possible.

Loved a doll I had when I was a child and you put a disc in her back and she sang although this was in Spanish I thought she was great!

I was given a couple of dolls but I never got into playing with them. I was more interested in stereotypical boys' toys like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

My sister and I had a soft-bodied doll each - they were named Laura and Gemma after our mum's friends daughters!

We treated them like real babies - feeding and changing and took them everywhere with us.

The first one I can remember was a 'Tiny Tears' that you could give a bottle too and then it 'pee-ed' it out!

Not my story but my partners story....

He used to play with his sisters dolls in the 80’s and then he watched child’s play at the ages of 8 and swears blind that his sisters doll turned its head to look at him and he’s not been overly fond of going into the little ones bedroom at night without a light on due to this!! 😂

My dolls had lives our their own. They used to get up at night when everyone was asleep and get up to all kinds of mischief ;)

I had a tiny tears and a similar sized doll that was wearing a stunning yellow suit...she was called Joanne. I pushed them round in a pram and I think that was the extent of it. I had a soft toy panda that was my baby, given to me when my little sister was born when I was 3. I would have loved a proper dolls house and all the bits and pieces that go with that...but it still hasn't happened...!

I was a tomboy so didn’t really like them. But when I had to I would pretend they were my patients and make them better.

I had a tiny tears doll that was stolen from the pram when I went out for a walk with it one day. I did not dress it up in pink or blue though, it had gender neutral clothing.

Cabbage patch dolls

I absolutely loved my dolls and remember driving my mum mad when out shopping as I always wanted to buy accessories for them, as I got older I would practice my make-up skills on them haha

When I was 2 I was very ill & had to have surgery in hospital. The ward sister was Jamaican & she used to carry me round on the doctors' rounds as I was the baby of the ward. I absolutely adored her so my Mum bought me a beautiful black doll which I treasured & still do, almost 58 years later. She is called Jemima & is still in her original dress & bonnet & she looks as good as the day Mum brought her to me in hospital. Although I was very young the time in hospital was my first memory.

Spending hours making clothes for my dolls

I think my earliest memories of playing with dolls was when my parents bought me a cheap doll (we didn't have much money back then) and a ladybird plastic pram. I absolutely loved my little pram and doll and took them everywhere with me. After that it was dressing Barbie dolls up when I was a little older and remember trying to make clothes for them out of old pillowcases and clothes cause we couldn't afford to keep buying new clothes for them, but I still remember having one of the best childhoods playing with dolls despite that.

I loved playing with Barbies and was used to collect them, then when my little sister was born she got ahold of my collection and ruined them all! That’s when I realised they were only just dolls and not that important ;)

I had barbies and absolutely loved them ! I remember lining them up playing time for tea !

My first doll was a cabbage patch doll, she was called Beatrice, she was soft and cuddly, I remember her in my dolls pram and we had tea parties with her, my teddies, and my sisters dolls too.

I had a "water baby" you fill with water. I loved her. My family made me a cot and bed clothes for her to sleep in next to my bed when I was 7.

I had a baby doll, all dressed in pink, and whenever her dummy came out she cried, I used to dress and undress her, feed her pretend food, and rock her in my arms. I remember her dummy used to fall out during the night and she would cry in the night, - it never woke me , but always woke my parents - who, in the morning were not best pleased.

I had some kind of baby doll and my mum bought me a Silver Cross dolls pram to push it around in, she still has it to this day in her loft! I remember treating it like a normal baby and sitting it in a high chair at the table and changing it's clothes several times a day!

I remember having a magic nursery baby dolly Emily. If I remember correctly you put the nappy in water to find out if you had a boy or girl I loved her, and treated her like a real baby, she had a plastic case which I used to carry around with all her accessories.

I had lots of teddies but no proper doll until my first barbie. I loved the teddies though, and had amassed quite a collection by the time I was ten.

I only ever had one doll as I was somewhat of a tomboy!! My only doll, was Tiny Tears as she only ever went in rides in my car!! lol