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

[LucyBMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

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 seems difficult to buy dolls as beautiful as the ones I had as a child. They had lovely clothes all made by my mother. My own daughters played with Barbie dolls a generation later. I wonder if my 10 month old Granddaughter will find a doll she loves too.

My favourite doll was one that talked and walked and her name was Mia. She went everywhere possible with me and I used to talk to her just like my Mum talked to me. She had lots of home knits and clothes made for her. My DD has loved dolls and had a dolls pram, highchair and potty so she could be Mum to them all.

I really, really wanted a Tiny Tears doll that you could feed with a bottle and also a Barbie doll, but I got a Cyndie which wasn’t regarded as being as good as Barbie.
I had lots of other dolls and my Nan used to knit outfits for them, as buying them from the toy shop took all my pocket money.
I also had a collection of dolls in National costumes but they mostly stayed in the tube they came in to keep them nice.

My first doll was a walking talking dolly with orange flowery dress (it was the 70s!) and she was the same height as me. I loved her so much - you just took her hands and gently pulled and she walked forwards! Had a button on her tummy that when pressed made her come out with such mysogynist gems as "shall we do the dusting?"

I loved my barbie dolls and would sit and play for hours with them! I loved dressing them and doing their hair!

Barbies! i was totally obsessed with pink!

I was obsessed with my cabbage patch doll. I still actually have her in the attic. she has her hair plaited and nails painted! she also has my baby shoes on that I wore as a child.

I loved my sindy dolls! I loved dressing them in different outfits and played with them loads!!!

My memory of playing with dolls is with my sisters doll, which she adored, and which I decided to play hairdressers with.....she was not pleased to say the least to come back from a friends house and find her doll had half cut off and lopsided hair! I remember being in big trouble for that!

I don't remember any dolls other than my Barbies. I used to get one every Birthday and Christmas. I had so many, I decided to give one a Number One haircut and pretend this one was a Man, as I didn't want a Ken!

When I got a bit bored of them, I told my Dad to sell them all as I wanted to buy a Nintendo - He scoffed at me telling me no one would be interested, but this lady came round and bought the lot and I got my Nintendo!!

I can remember having a little doll when I was little but chucking it on the floor because I wanted the real baby my mum had just had (my sister ) 😂.My mum eventually convinced me to love my doll and she brought me a matching pram so we would push them together on my way to school

I remember playing with my friends dolls but I was never particularly interested in having one myself! I think I preferred things like Lego and Playmobil as I could use my imagination more!

I wasn't into dolls but my mum gave me her old tiny tears and I did play with her occasionally (my sister was really into dolls so I would play with her). I named her Wendy and I would take her out in a pram. She had to go to the dolls hospital a couple of times as she kept losing her eye lashes. They said that her eyes needed replacing but I remember saying (I was only 8) that they couldn't as she wouldn't be my Wendy anymore. I still have her.

I had Tressy. She had a special key you could insert in her navel to wind her hair in and out to make it long or short. Never struck me as odd @till now!

I never liked baby dolls I loved Sindy and Barbie, a dolls house was my favourite toy. If I had no dolls at the time a catalogue and scissors and I made my own :D

I had a Sasha doll bought for me in 1971 for my 10th birthday. She has long blonde layered hair, painted on features (so each ones is unique), light brown skin and strung legs and arms.

Mine has a brown corduroy dress with matching knickers and brown leather shoes. I’ve still got her - they sell for a fortune on eBay but she’s not going anywhere!

I loved dolls as a child. My 1st doll was called Rosie. I kept all my dolls at my grandmothers house and when I stayed over at weekends we would play together and make outfits etc. We would have tea and make tents. My grandmother must have played with Rosie and her friends while I was not there as they always had different clothes and hairstyles when I returned!

I had a Postman Pat doll and I bit his nose off! Whoops

What was your doll’s name, and do you still like it now? i loved my dolls when i was younger.i had a ragedy anne one that my grandma made me and it was especailly good in bed being wool it was limp and soft so i could cuddle her all night.
the tears and feeding and toilet ones werent around yet.but i remember they were alot softer than some seem to be now an im not sure whether this is because of the tech to them being able to do so much that they have to be more plastic which is often a turn off.we always squeee and choose base on how soft they are to hold.

What were your favourite games to play with your doll? we played mums and dads.school.nursery.and just took her around with me everywhere.we got grnas old poh prams out her garage and they were great!
we also got all our old babygrows from the attic and put them in those lovely soft ones from when we were babies.
i think kids play with dolls like we did back then.mostly i dont think its changed which is nice to see.

I had a doll called May who I carried everywhere. I use to have a pram that i'd push her around in.
She was a very basic plastic doll.
Nowadays my children have a crying doll and one that burps, it's all moved on so much and much more life like.

I was never a big fun of larger doll, and loved playing with Barbie. My sister and I. both had one each, so we spent lots of time doing roll play with Barbie dolls.

I loved my tiny tears and took her everywhere, we played nurses, schools and I was devastated when I cut her hair and was told it wouldn't grow back :(

I used to like playing doctors with my doll. I had a toy doctors set with bandages and a thermometer. I do remember drawing her in some chicken pox in blue felt tip pens once that never did really clean off properly!

I fondly remember the dolls tea parties me and my elder sister used to have. Though i think she enjoyed them more than me.