Barbie Is Getting A Brand New Look, See It Here
Mattel is releasing a Barbie doll specifically designed for preschoolers.
Since Barbie Millicent Roberts was introduced to the world in 1959 by the Mattel toy company, she has become an international superstar and one of the most recognizable products on the planet. To further its success, Mattel is launching a Barbie product specifically designed for preschoolers. She’s called “My First Barbie.”
Source: Mattel
The Barbie doll is the number one fashion doll brand globally and was among the top five best-selling toy properties during the first nine months of 2022. It was also named by the market research firm NPD as the top-selling global toy property of 2021. That said, you might ask why they would give the toy a new look when it is already on the top of the mountain.
The reason they are releasing a doll specifically created for kids in the 3- to 5-year-old range called “My first Barbie” is because parents and kids every day have been telling them for years that the dolls can be difficult for younger children to play with because of the dexterity needed to change outfits on the doll and play with the different playsets.
According to CNN Business, when interviewing the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Mattel’s Barbie brand, Lisa McKnight, about the changes to the doll, she said: “The hand is closed, so the thumb is not detached. We did this to make it easier for little hands to dress and undress the doll.”
In my personal experience as a father of two daughters who both grew up with many Barbie dolls in the home, the most requested support they needed from me during their childhood was “Dad can you put this dress on my Barbie Doll.” My biggest hurdle in successfully completing that task for them was not getting frustrated when every time I was dressing the doll, its thumb would snag the clothing, and I would have to carefully maneuver around it to get the clothing on the way it looked on the box because anything less could cause a child’s emotional meltdown.
Some of the other adjustments to make the My First Barbie more user-friendly for toddlers are that they have lengthened the doll two overall inches from 11.5 inches to 13.5 inches. The body of the doll has also been made softer for the toddler’s hands.
Additionally, they have added velcro fasteners to the clothing so that it makes it easier for the little ones to get the clothes on and off themselves. They will be releasing these Barbies in four different skin tones along with accessories like shoes, purses, and a summer beach look complete with a sun hat and swimsuit.
These Barbie dolls will retail for around $20, and you will be able to find them beginning this month at Walmart, Target, Amazon, and other Mattel toy retailers. Barbie will now become more popular with the youngest part of their age range, and it’s not like she needs help being more popular but this will certainly cement her in the minds of kids for many generations to come.
