Introduction
In this post we are going to look at the best doll to buy for a 2 year old boy or girl. I have looked at lots of baby dolls for 2 year olds and think that the My First Baby Annabell Little Annabell is the clear winner.
Most baby dolls are aimed at children older than 2 years. They’re big, hard, have small parts (choking hazard) and are generally not comfortable for a 2 year old to carry around and cuddle. And let’s face it, a lot of dolls are actually quite ugly and scary-looking – not realistic at all!
Dolls for 2 year olds reviewed in this article
| Image | Product | Price | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
 | My First Baby Annabell Little Annabell Our rating: | £ | More Details |
 | My First Baby Annabell Little Baby Fun Multi Our rating: | ££ | More Details |
 | My First Baby Annabell Little Alexander Our rating: | £ | More Details |
 | My First Baby Annabell Sleep Well Our rating: | £ | More Details |
 | My First Baby Annabell Let’s Play Our rating: | ££ | More Details |
My First Baby Annabell
Here’s why I think the My First Baby Annabell Little Annabell is the best doll for 2 year olds.
Realistic features
The Baby Annabell has very realistic features and looks just like a real baby. This will help to engage a 2 year old’s imagination in many different ways. Children and toddlers will enjoy pretending to look after the baby doll, pushing them around in a dolls pram or pushchair, dressing them up, feeding them and lots of other games.
Soft, cuddly body
This baby doll for 2 year olds has a soft body that’s nice to cuddle – it’s not hard like other dolls. The head, arms and lower legs are hard plastic whereas the body is soft. This makes the Baby Annabell a realistic-looking doll that your child can easily imagine is a real baby, but it’s nicer to cuddle too.
The perfect sized doll for 2 year olds
At 36cm tall, presented models are a lot smaller than most dolls (average size being about 50cm). This makes them perfect for younger toddlers as they are less cumbersome to carry around.
Available in different versions, including a boy doll
This way, your child can “take the responsibility” of the a whole family and both boys and girls.
There are several different Baby Annabell dolls available including:
My First Baby Annabell Little Annabell
The My First Baby Annabell Little Annabell comes with a bottle. She is wearing a babygrow and hat which children will enjoy taking on and off as they get more dextrous.
The doll doesn’t move, her eyes don’t close and she doesn’t make noises or anything. This is just a nice, realistic, classic doll that 2 year olds will easily fall in love with. It’s a classic doll, without any special features like the Fun Multi version described below.
- The ideal doll for children aged 1+
My First Baby Annabell Little Baby Fun Multi
A very good option is the My First Baby Annabell Little Baby Fun Multi. Its eyes open and close, she laughs, moves around and makes various baby sound effects. She babbles in baby talk, turns her head, raises her arms and falls asleep. She even makes baby sleeping noises and overall has 9 life-like functions!
Some of the movements and sounds are quite cute and certainly make the Baby Moves doll more like a real baby. It’s up to you whether you prefer the My First Baby Annabell Little Annabell which doesn’t move, or this more advanced but I have to say that this one intrigues me! It’s however much more expensive than the classic one but if you are ok with going for something more premium it will be an interesting toy to play with for your 2 year old child for much longer.
- My First Baby Annabell Baby Fun
My First Baby Annabell Little Alexander
The My First Baby Annabell Little Alexander is a boy doll that is similar to the classic girl doll but with blue clothes. He’s perfect for 2 year old boys to play with, and also to add a bit of gender-balance to girls’ games (I think it’s important for girls to have boy dolls as well as girls).
Like the classic girl doll, Annabel’s baby brother comes with a bottle. He is wearing a cute removable babygrow with an animal design and beanie hat.
- 36 cm baby Annabell Little Alexander doll, ideal for first doll parents from one year of age to cuddle and play
- Self-contained and easy to play: extra easy to put on and take off
My First Baby Annabell Sleep Well for Babies
My First Baby Annabell Sleep Well is a version of the doll centered around sleep. She comes with a sound module that can record up to 5 minutes. You can record a story, a lullaby or anything that makes your 2 year old (or younger) child fall asleep. This is quite a cute concept and it’s is a nice version of the doll, but to be honest it’s a bit of a gimmick and you’ll do just as well with the classic My First Baby Annabell Little Annabell.
- SLEEP WELL DOLL - Baby Annabell Sleep Well Doll for babies is an adorable companion for little ones who love to be soothed. Featuring a sound module inside the doll, Sleep Well for babies can record up to 5 minutes of sound
- FOR SMALL HANDS - Made in an easy-to-hold style that even the smallest children can play with
My First Baby Annabell Let’s Play
Finally, there is My First Baby Annabell Let's Play. As well as the doll and bottle, you get a cuddly sheep. The doll is a bit more sophisticated as it actually moves and does things. She can suck on her bottle, burp and her eyes close when you lie her down. If you hold her up in the air, holding underneath her armpits then she will even laugh!
Personally, I think that the classic My First Baby Annabell Little Annabell doll is just as good as this more expensive one. 2 year olds and other pre-school children have developing imaginations. It’s important to let them use their imagination to play, not give them the ideas of what to do with the doll. 2 year olds are perfectly capable of using pretend play to make a doll suck on a bottle and do things like burp and laugh – the doll doesn’t actually need to do it! However if you want a more interactive doll then this is a nice one to buy.
- comes with a bottle
- comes with a cuddly sheep
My First Baby Annabell doll’s accessories
If you’re buying a My First Baby Annabell doll for a 2 year old then you might be thinking of buying some accessories to go with it.
Dolls pram or pushchair
The obvious choice is a dolls pram or pushchair. Please read my other article about the best dolls prams for 2 year olds.
Although My First Baby Annabell is a bit smaller than most dolls (hence being so good for 2 year olds), she will fit just fine into most dolls prams.
Extra clothes for My First Baby Annabell
Another good accessory for My First Baby Annabell is extra clothes. As they get better control over their hands, 2 year olds love putting clothes on their baby dolls and taking them off again.
Again, the fact that My First Baby Annabell is smaller than most dolls means that most baby doll clothes will be too big. However the following 3 outfits will fit the 36cm doll versions perfectly.
- Original accessory for the Baby Annabell branded toy doll
- Sheep themed romper suit with hooded jacket and trainers for Little Annabell
- ADORABLE LUNCHTIME SET - Every little doll needs a set lunchtime to get them excited for mealtimes, and Baby Annabell is no exception. This adorable set features Baby Annabell's signature sheep theme - her favourite
- Adorable Baby Annabell Deluxe Set Flowers will brighten your little one's day