Image: MomJunction Design Team
Available in various sizes, materials, and designs, dolls form an integral part of a child’s growing years. So, we have compiled a list of the best dolls for 5-year-old girls and boys to help you choose the right one. These dolls come prettily dressed and help enhance your child’s creativity and interpersonal skills. Children tend to spend hours speaking to their favorite doll, treating them like a baby or a friend. Playing with them helps your child learn age-appropriate skills and makes them responsible from a young age. They become best friends with their dolls, staying engaged for hours.
Nowadays, most dolls come with cute and stylish accessories to encourage imaginative play, making playtime more interesting for your child. With various exciting features, our list includes several trendy options to suit your child’s preference, providing an interactive experience. So, have a look at our gift guide and list of products from trusted brands to choose a suitable doll for your little one.
Top Picks
11 Best Dolls For A 5-Year-Old
1. Best Interactive: Barbie Skipper Babysitters Nursery Set
Let your child’s imagination run wild as they play out their babysitting adventures with the Barbie Skipper Nursery Set. This classic doll set enhances children’s storytelling skills as they engage with the Skipper doll along with the twin baby dolls. If you are looking for an interactive set that will allow your child to take charge of their playtime, this is the perfect doll for you.
The storytelling doll set comes with 15 additional accessories, including a crib with a changing station, a crib mobile, a teddy bear, a bottle warmer, a rocking horse, and a cloth diaper stack. Watch your child explore their nurturing side as they feed, change, and entertain the baby dolls. This review cum testing video can help you make an informed decision.
Pros
- Room for two toys on the bar
- Includes a bouncy chair
- Diapers with Velcro are easily removable
- Makes an ideal gift idea
Cons
- Screws on the stroller may become loose over time
- Small parts may pose a choking hazard
"This doll set has come in handy to instill nurturing skills in my toddler. Its accessories are quite durable, and the baby dolls add a sweet touch. While overall details and versatility impress, some items, like the bouncer, could have been more functional. Despite minor setbacks, I am glad I made this purchase."
Quick tip2. Best Poseable: Calico Critters Hopper Kangaroo Family
Gift your children hours of fun and pretend-play with the Calico Critters Hopper Kangaroo Family doll set and keep them occupied and entertained. This poseable doll set includes Father Richie, Mother Sandy, Sister Isabella, and Baby Sister Katie dolls, which are accompanied by accessories to enhance the role-play experience. These collectible dolls are not only soft and suitable for your child’s small hands, but also have detailed designs that are attractive. Your child can engage with these soft bodied dolls independently or get them together with dollhouses and other accessories for a delightful play session. Have a look at this product testing video to learn more about this doll that is ideal for a 5-year-old girl and boy.
Pros
- Detailed clothing
- Rotatable head
- Poseable arms and legs
- Develops creativity
- Makes a special gift for children
Cons
- Color may fade over time
- Plastic material may not be appealing to some
3. Best Unique Facial Features: Mattel Enchantimals Cherish Cheetah Doll
The Enchantimals doll allows your child to indulge in a world filled with adventure and imagination. This adorable six-inch doll is accompanied by a cute animal friend. The doll is available in different animal designs, such as cheetahs, cats, parrots, swans, and tigers, and can teach your child to appreciate nature and learn about animals. If you are looking for a play-time friend that comes with colorful and attractive features, this role-play doll is the one. Let your child establish a friendship with the enchanting doll.
Pros
- Doll has unique facial features
- Floral animal print outfit matches the cheetah
- Removable outfits
- Soft and combable hair
Cons
- May be smaller than expected for some
- Clip-hole in the pet’s back may not be appealing to some
"The animal theme and the matching pets included in this doll set have facilitated hours of imaginative play. While the dolls’ size surprised me initially, its robust construction has survived multiple outfit changes. Overall, the doll has brought much joy and excitement to playtime."
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The 5,678 reviews on Amazon indicate that this product has a loyal following.
4. Best For Nature Lovers: American Girl’s WellieWisher Willa Doll
It’s important to encourage learning values through games, and there’s a fun way for your child to do that with the American Girl WellieWisher Willa doll. It is a nature-loving adventure doll that speaks to squirrels, skunks, and chipmunks. Your child can inculcate a love of animals with this play-time buddy. For hours of imaginative play, the Willa doll sports a detailed fun hedgehog tee, a cute headband with bunny ears, and red ladybug boots. Your little one is sure to have fun with this doll in her garden-themed games. Here is a product testing video that tells you more about the product.
Pros
- Brushable hair that can be styled
- Helps develop cognitive skills
- Easy to wash and clean
- Clothes are removable and interchangeable
Cons
- Dolls size may feel small to some
- Limbs may be fragile
5. Best Plush: Dibsies Personalization Station Butterfly Plush Doll
Give your child the thrill of having her very own personalized plush doll with the Dibsies doll. This tried-and-tested butterfly cuddly doll for five-year-olds is customizable and you can have your child’s name embroidered on the doll’s outfit. The 15-inch tall doll has a washable surface and wear-proof material that allows your children to take the doll with them wherever they go.
Pros
- Available in a variety of dress colors and yarn hair
- Made of 100% polyester fiber material
- Embroidered features
- Soft doll to hold and cuddle with
Cons
- May wear out after regular use
- May be smaller than expected for some
"These dolls are so soft that my toddler loves cuddling with them at night. She was also amazed to see her name embroidered on the doll’s dress. While the seams aren't the most durable, the cute detailing keeps the doll’s charm intact."
Point to considerWhy We Think It's Worth Buying
Over 2,056 satisfied customers have left positive reviews about the product on Amazon.
6. Best Fashionable: My Little Pony Equestria Girls Fluttershy Fashion Doll
Inspired by entertainment, the My Little Pony Equestria Girls range is ideal for those of you who want your children to revel in the power of friendship. The 11-inch Fluttershy doll is dressed in a flowy floral dress and knee-high boots as she is ready to take on the world with her friends. Let your child discover the magical world of friendship with her doll friends including Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Sunset Shimmer, and Pinkie Pie as they embark on a journey that is filled with school dances and band battles.
Pros
- Has seven points of articulation
- Gentle and easy to hold
- Giftable
- Cool accessories
Cons
- May not stand on its own
- Shoes’ heels may seem unstable to some
7. Best Attractive: Mattel Cave Club Fernessa Dolls
For an epic journey into a land of storytelling and adventure, Cave Club dolls are a treat for children of the age range of four to seven years. The Fernessa doll has a prehistoric sense of style, and she passionately embarks on a mission to help her plant and animal friends. This doll set cannot be complete without her dinosaur friend, Pterodactyl Ptilly. The fashion doll sports a bright-colored dress with bold prints, and playing with this preschool doll can help your child to spend quality time and learn in a fun way.
Pros
- Attachable neon-hair extensions
- Combing accessory included
- Blossom flower handbag
- Doll wears a venus-flytrap headpiece
Cons
- May have an odor when new
- Hair may not be easy to maintain
"My little girl was quickly taken by this doll's whimsical and vibrant design. It even came with multiple accessories to enhance the charm. While the doll's durability is questionable, it has been a delightful alternative to the traditional ones she has."
8. Best Toxic-Free: Glitter Girls Amy Lu Doll
If you are looking for a fun doll set, you can choose from the Glitter Girls range for a fun and entertaining play session. The wide-eyed Amy Lu is a poseable doll dressed in a pink and blue polka-dot shirt paired with blue shorts and multi-colored sparkle tights. She has a sparkly blue hair bow and matching glitter shoes to complete the look.
Your child can add to her adorable doll set from the range of dolls by Glitter Girls including Kani, Keltie, Candice, Poppy, and Fifer, who each have unique and fashionable outfits.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- 14 inches tall
- Free of BPA, phthalates, and lead
- Long and silky hair; easy to style into side ponytails
- Portable and ideal size for small hands
Cons
- Some may not like the choppy hair
- Outfit may not be highly durable
"Discovering the Glitter Girl dolls has been quite a pleasure, especially given their poseable arms and legs, which allow hours of open-ended play. The interchangeability of their clothes with other similar-sized dolls has helped her expand her playset. Hence, despite minor concerns about hair styling limitations, the doll has become her faithful companion."
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The whopping 844 positive reviews on Amazon reflect the superior quality of this product.
9. Best Easy-To-Dress: Melissa And Doug Mine To Love – Gabrielle
Do you want to prioritize hands-on playing and let your child interact and connect? Choose the Gabrielle doll by the trusted brand Melissa And Doug for your child. Perfectly sized to cuddle and carry around, this doll has brown eyes that open and shut. The easy-to-dress child-friendly doll comes in a frilled dress that has cute hearts and flowers. Watch your child navigate their way around taking care of this 12-inch baby doll. Rest assured that your child will enjoy screen-free playing time like never before.
Pros
- Easily washable
- Comes with molded plastic hair
- Doll can be made to suck her thumb or the pacifier
- Long-lasting classic baby doll
- Sizable 12-inch doll
Cons
- Head may be hard
- Some may find the doll smaller than they expected
"I am impressed with this doll’s child-friendly design, including the attached hat and washable clothes. My toddler loves to carry this baby doll around and can spend hours watching its eyes open and close. While I am not too chuffed about the pacifier's detachment, the doll has become my child's cherished friend."
10. Best Easy Maintenance: MerryMakers Stellaluna Plush Doll
The Stellaluna Plush Doll is a baby bat doll that can be posed by wrapping it up tightly in a sleep mode or stretched out to make it ready to fly. The cute and interactive doll is based on a story about a baby bat that is separated from her mother and falls into a nest with three other little birds. Add this to your child’s doll collection and let your child combine beautiful illustrations of a storybook with accurate and informative details about bats and birds as they play with this doll. This eight-inch tall doll is made of polyester and offers endless fun.
Pros
- Suitable for children of all ages
- Surface is easily washable
- Has a soft body
- Realistic doll with a unique design
Cons
- Size may be smaller than expected
"Although the design of this doll is quite unconventional, it was an instant hit with my child. Its velcro wings, which enable it to hang upside down or wrap around for a hug, have also come in handy to start conversations about wildlife. Plus, the washable nature is much appreciated."
Quick tip11. Best With Stylish Design: Little Bado Girl Doll – Emily
Keep your child engaged for hours with this doll toy that comes with 13 movable joints. Your child will be able to move the doll around and play with its long and soft hair to create different poses and hairstyles. The skill-building princess doll encourages children to use their hands during playtime and improves cognitive skills. Further, the girls’ doll is stylish, incorporating a pink dress, long pink hair, an elegant necklace, and cute shoes.
Pros
- Perfectly sized for small hands
- Great for pretend-play
- Made of safe material
- Easy to clean with lukewarm water
Cons
- May have an odor when new
- Doll’s dress may seem ill-fitted to some
"I love this doll's detailed design and craftsmanship. The outfit is particularly impressive, resembling miniature works of art. It makes a worthy gift choice for kids as well as collectors."
How To Choose The Right Doll For A 5-Year-Old?
Consider the following requirements when choosing a doll for your child.
- Budget: Your budget can perhaps be one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make, but if money isn’t an issue, opt for the best doll in your price range. The good news is that fun, high-quality dolls for children are available in almost any price range. Make sure to do your homework to ensure that whatever doll you choose, you end up making a good investment. If you find that your child loses interest in toys often, you may want to invest in a more economic option, but if you are in the mood to splurge, choose a complete doll set that may come with 4 to 5 dolls.
- Quality: Look for dolls that are made of high-quality materials because chances are that your child will be spending a lot of time with them. You can choose a doll that is made of polyester fiber or ABS plastic material as they are easy to clean and relatively safe to be around your baby. Also, ensure that they do not have sharp edges so that you can ensure your children don’t hurt themselves. If you’re buying a plushie doll, make sure that the fabric is soft and safe, so that your child will not have any allergic reactions to it.
- Available accessories: Doll accessories can be just as fun to play with because they enhance your child’s playtime experience. Before you buy a doll, you may want to look into the accessories that come with the set. Fun doll sets come with accessories like doll clothes, hair accessories and so much more to let your child get creative with their dolls. Some even include accessories like a dollhouse, handbag, a flower pot, and sometimes even a pet! While looking for the best doll for your 5-year old girl or boy, ensure that you put some thought into what he or she may like to play with.
- Ease of maintenance: Consider choosing a doll that is easy to clean and maintain.
Why Trust MomJunction?
Selecting a doll that best suits your five-year-old’s interests can be tricky. Our resident kids’ toys and gifts specialist, Priti Bose, understands the challenge and has your back. In this article, she brings you a list of the best dolls for five-year-olds after conducting thorough research and going through various user reviews. These best-selling dolls have features like rotatable limbs and additional accessories that will make your child’s playtime engaging. Priti presents you with a buyer’s guide to help you make the right choice.
Children love dolls because they are fun to play with and help sharpen social and fine motor skills. Before getting the best dolls for 5-year-old girls and boys, check if the toy is easy to clean, made using materials that meet safety standards, and has a realistic design. The dolls listed in this article are of various ethnicities, shapes, and sizes, featuring vibrant styles that will grab your little one’s attention. Besides, buy one that is free from any small parts that may pose a choking hazard.
Infographic: What Are The Advantages Of Doll Play For Toddlers?
Doll play for toddlers is a delightful activity that encourages their emotional expression. By interacting with dolls, toddlers develop and learn essential life skills while having fun in their imaginative world. Explore the following infographic to discover the benefits of doll play and how it nurtures early development in toddlers. Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
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