When I was young, my father would come back from business trips with small figurine dolls dressed in typical attire of different countries around the world. I had a pretty extensive collection with dolls from Ireland, North America, and Italy, to name a few. To me, I felt like I was being taught something. In some ways I was, because from each doll came a story from my parents about places I had never been to but was hoping to see when I got older.
Now that I am a mama, I couldn’t have been more excited about a new line of dolls created by Playmates Toys, called Hearts for Hearts Girls. RP Canada launched the charitable doll line in Canada in October and the response has been fantastic! This Christmas, I gifted a Hearts for Hearts Girl doll to a special little girl. And to be honest with you, I was never happier to gift a doll, until this.
The dolls were created with the typical clothing, hair style and facial features of a girl from the country they represent. Girls from places such as Ethiopia, Laos and Mexico are represented and each doll is strikingly beautiful, with vibrant clothes, true to their country, even down to their names. Every doll comes with a small book of where they are from and what kind of life they lead. In their story, each girl talks in the first person about what needs to be done to make their place a better and safer one.
“One day, a government worker came to our village. She said that they were training thousands of women to be community health workers. My mother, who is both strong and smart, told the worker that she would like to learn.”- Rachel from Ethiopia
I love the book (of course, which is not surprising from me!). I think it’s a great and powerful message to send to girls. Not only do they have a beautiful doll to appreciate and play with, but they are learning about a place in the world that needs assistance. Even with my son who is in kindergarten, I see how instantly he wants to help people when he hears that they need it. Opening the doors to girls about the needs of others through a doll is a genius thing!
The doll also comes with a bracelet for girls to wear to “show (their) heart is for hearts”, which in a younger sense is giving them a support bracelet.
And support is exactly what these dolls were created for. Part of the proceeds of each doll sold gives back to the place in which it is representing. That makes it a gift to be proud of giving.
The dolls are geared to children ages 6-8 years old. I did give a doll to a younger child but with the warning to the parents to remove small pieces from the doll, since all of them come with some form of jewellery. It’s also a good age to start introducing the needs of others to children. Younger children tend to get uninterested or even scared.
If you have a birthday for a younger girl, I fully recommend this doll as a gift. I recently heard from a friend who had purchased one of the dolls as well and said her children love it! During the Christmas rush, the dolls sold out at my local Walmart, so if you do have an occasion to buy one, get them while you can!
To find out more about Heart for Hearts Girls dolls, visit their website. It is totally devoted to the dolls, their charities, the stories of the places in need, and the real girls associated with them.
Disclosure: I was gifted two dolls as compensation for my review. All written opinions of these products are, as always, my own.