Best Doll

Matilda, Your Tudor Girl, is the first in a new line of dolls aimed at older girls of eight and up. The dolls in the range, dubbed ‘A Girl For All Time’, work as conventional play companions (you can dress and undress them and the 16in. vinyl dolls are fully posable) but also act as a doorway into history.

In Matilda’s case, that doorway leads to Tudor Britain, as 13-year-old Matilda Marchmont takes her place in the court of Henry VIII. A Keepsakes and Secrets book, a novel (Matilda’s Secret) and authentic costumes (each sold separately) help girls to explore the era, finding out what it was like to be a girl in Tudor times.

Matilda instantly impresses with her build quality and appealing features. The excellent extra outfits, including a masked ballgown, velvet cloak and white cotton night shift, add to the play value and will be tempting follow-up purchases.

Matilda has the potential to become a much-loved toy for years and should herald the launch of a highly successful line of dolls.

Award Winner
Matilda, Your Tudor Girl
Company: Daughters of History
Age range: 8+
Approx. price: £89.99
Online retailers: bambolina.com, agirlforalltime.com

Reviewers’ comments: A really beautiful doll… It makes a change to see a doll aimed at older girls… Both the doll and the extra outfits are really well made… Matilda has really made an impact in our house.

 

Highly Commended
Silly Hair Lalaloopsy
Company: MGA Entertainment
Age range: 4+
Approx. price: £29.99
Online retailers: smythstoys.com, argos.co.uk, toysrus.co.uk
Retail outlets: Smyths, Argos
Online video: youtube.com/lalaloopsy

Wild, bendy hair is the defining feature of these colourful dolls. Legend has it that they started out as conventional rag dolls before magically transforming when the last stitch was made – however they were created, girls love experimenting with that wacky hair.

 

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Baby Annabell
Company: Zapf Creation UK
Age range: 3+
Approx. price: £44.99
Online retailers: argos.co.uk, smythstoys.com
Retail outlets: Argos, Smyths

A long-time favourite, Baby Annabell has some clever new features that allow her to respond to a child’s voice. Baby Annabell can now laugh, babble and cry and has a range of natural-looking movements to delight her little carers.

 

Highly Commended
Bratz Masquerade
Company: MGA Entertainment
Age range: 6+
Approx. price: £19.99
Online retailers: argos.co.uk, amazon.co.uk
Retail outlets: Argos

The Bratz girls are going to a ball, and kids are invited too – not only do the Bratz Masquerade dolls have their own masks, they come with a child-sized stencil mask so little girls can apply the included make-up and join in.