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 Zapf Creation 704554 Baby Little Annabell 36cm 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!
My top 3 picks
My First Baby Annabell
Here’s why I think the Zapf Creation 704554 Baby Little Annabell 36cm 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 Zapf Creation 704554 Baby Little Annabell 36cm 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 perfect doll for children aged 1+.
- Soft and cuddly 36cm body.
My First Baby Annabell Little Baby Fun Multi
A very good option is the Baby Annabell 702604 Little Baby Fun 36cm, 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 Zapf Creation 704554 Baby Little Annabell 36cm 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.
- Adorable 36cm soft body doll for toddlers!
- With 9 life-like functions including sucking her bottle and burping.
My First Baby Annabell Little Alexander
The Baby Annabell 702963 Little Alexander 36cm, Multi 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.
- The perfect doll for children aged 1+.
- 36cm doll with soft body.
My First Baby Annabell Sleep Well for Babies
Baby Annabell 702925 Sleep Well for Babies 30cm, Multi 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 Zapf Creation 704554 Baby Little Annabell 36cm.
- The perfect first doll for babies.
- Soft body that can be handwashed when you remove the sound module.
My First Baby Annabell Let’s Play
Finally, there is My first Baby Annabell Lets 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 Zapf Creation 704554 Baby Little Annabell 36cm 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.
- Snooze time has never been so fashionable with Baby Annabell's soft sleeping bag and matching shirt.
- Sheep themed romper suit with hooded jacket and trainers for Little Annabell.
- Adorable lunch time set for Baby Annabell in her signature sheep theme.
- Adorable Baby Annabell Deluxe Set Flowers will brighten your little one's day.