Best Girls Toys

Girls Toys Ideas

Barbie rules the roost and looks good for 50-plus! Before you dismiss Barbie as being stuck in the dark ages, look at the latest range of dolls. Along with sugary pink castles and hair salons, you’ll find dolls themed on The Three Musketeers, surfing, and careers including nursing, teaching, and the law. There’s more to Barbie than you think.

You can’t go wrong with Sylvanian Families. They’re still one of the most popular girls’ toys after 25 years. A doll choice that’s less gender sensitive, the emphasis is on role play as with Barbie, but for animals. Sylvanian Families combine cute animals with an exhaustive range of playsets and accessories for all budgets. Choose from rabbits, Dalmatians, Labradors, Persian cats and squirrels. The playsets range from the humble Applewood Cottage to The Grand Hotel, with cars, caravans, and camping sets too. Close attention to detail makes Sylvanian Families stand out. Each piece is a convincing reflection of the real thing.

A baby doll is always a winner for girls that like to play mum. Zapf Creations are well regarded and launched the much-loved Baby Born range. Their boy doll comes with lots of thoughtful features. His magic flashing and flushing potty and feeding accessories make role playing a genuine experience. There are loads of accessories available, so Christmas and birthday choices will be a breeze!

When it comes to girls toys, electronic pets are perfect. Gone are the days of static pets that don’t come close to the real thing. Today’s pets are interactive and convincing. Zhu Zhu Pets took kids by storm in 2009, and are still going strong. These fuzzy hamster friends interact with each other and their playsets include everything from a surf wagon to a deluxe house.

Animagic have captured imaginations and sparked caring streaks in girls everywhere. Any girl who’s hankering after a puppy will adore the golden Labrador Peanut My Playful Puppy. He barks, chomps his bone, wags his tail, and tilts his head. Kitten crazy girls can take Charlie My Cute Kitten home, or care for FurReal’s Lulu My Cuddlin’ Kitty. The FurReal range has a great selection of more unusual animals, including Zambi the Baby Elephant, who can wiggle his ears, giggle, call and chew.

Girls love to dress up, even the big ones! The Disney costumes really shine and allow girls to re-live their favourite scenes from classic movies such as Cinderella. Today’s costumes come with all sorts of clever features. Some are reversible, such as Belle’s Beauty & the Beast gown. Others have twinkling lights, like the Tinkerbell costume, which comes with detachable wings. More contemporary costumes include High School Musical Cheerleader and Prom outfits. For younger girls, there’s the Stephanie outfit from Lazy Days, which comes with leg warmers, pink dress, and pink wig!

Ranging from easy pop-up fabric tents to grand wooden mini buildings, playhouses are excellent for enhancing role playing and creative skills. Girls can create a whole world of scenarios inside Dream Town’s range of playhouses. Their Crystal Castle is perfect for budding princesses, not to mention their lovely Cherry Blossom Store and Rose Petal Cottage. Peppa Pig fans will go crazy for her cheerful wendy house. In the Night Garden fans can play in a pop-up pavilion. There’s tons of choice in the world of playhouses. Teepees, castles, haunted houses and gingerbread cottages are just the tip of the iceberg.

No longer just for the boys, video games are loads of fun for girls too. The Nintendo DS is leading the way with a range of consoles especially for girls in pink, blue, and white. Girls can enhance problem solving, role playing, and coordination skills with games such as Style Boutique. Alternatively, check out Imagine Beauty Salon, which sets the challenge of opening and running a beauty salon. Peppa Pig games are available for younger girls, along with Hannah Montana and iCarly games. Don’t forget the classics! Super Mario Brothers, Wii Sports Resort, and Just Dance are suitable for everyone.