These two doll-friends really remind me of myself and my cousin, Virginia. I was always afraid of the water, whereas Virginia would dive in the minute we got out of the car!
Virginia and I took our dolls to the beach, built sand castles for them to live in, and played like our Barbies were mermaids in the ocean water.
The American Girl dolls, like my Kaya (shown below) have soft bodies, so it’s never advisable to play with soft bodied dolls in the water, of course.
But both of my daughters used to play with their Barbies in the bathtub, and what fun they had!
Of course true doll collectors cringe when they hear me talking about playing with dolls in the water because they know that under the scalp of the doll, mold can begin to grow if you leave your dolls wet for too long.
I’ve never been one to leave a doll in its box though, even as an adult. It seems to me that dolls are meant to be played with, so why not enjoy them?
Sometimes I’ll take a photo of the doll while it’s still in the box, for later identification purposes. Here’s Ginny in her box, for example:
And here are the doll clothes I made her, once she was out of her box:
Even as a very young girl, every single doll I owned was given some newly-handmade doll clothes, the minute she came out of the box.
My Grandma Wood had a big box of fabric scraps at her house, and I have memories of Virginia and I dumping the scraps out and sorting through the bits of lace and satin, cutting out little unsewn vests or safety pinning sarong-style dresses onto our dolls.
This, in my opinion, was even more fun than playing mermaids in a pool. It was the epitome of fun doll play!
What happy memories do you have of fun doll play times as a child. Did you play with your dolls in the water?
Were you a “save them in the box” collector, even as a child, or did that seem foolish at the time? Do you ever wish you had kept your dolls in the box? Or are you glad you played with them?
I love it when you share your stories!
Leave a comment, please, on the topics of doll play, leaving dolls in the box, and even playing with dolls in the water. What are your thoughts?
And thank you, Cousin Virginia, for being my special “doll play friend” when I was growing up! I will forever have a warm place in my heart for you, and for all the fun times we had at play!
As we wrap up the month of August, if you’d like to make a swimsuit for your dolls, I have a number of different options here, on ChellyWood.com:
- Free swimsuit pattern for Barbie
- Free swimsuit pattern for Skipper
- Free swimsuit pattern for Wellie Wishers
- Free swimsuit pattern for 18 inch dolls like American Girl
If the doll you love to sew for isn’t mentioned in this list, go cruise around the website anyway. You may find that some of the swimsuit patterns for other dolls can fit your doll as well!
Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:
*ChellyWood.com earns money by linking to Amazon, eBay, JoAnn’s, Etsy, and other online affiliate programs. Links provided above may be affiliate links. For a full list of my affiliate programs, please see my “Privacy Policy” page. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
To honor the trademark rights of the doll companies mentioned in this blog post, I am including links to their websites here. Please feel free to visit their website and consider purchasing one or more of the dolls mentioned.
Wellie Wishers and American Girl dolls are products offered by American Girl LLC, which holds the registered trademark for them (™). Please visit their website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Madame Alexander 45 to 46 cm dolls were products that were once offered by the Madame Alexander Doll Company, LLC, which holds the registered trademark for them (™). Be advised that at the time of this blog post, they no longer (to my knowledge) offer dolls in that size range; however you can visit their website to learn more about their company and the trademarked toys they are currently offering.