I grew up in the heart of Cabbage Patch Kid land (that’s in northeast Georgia if you never knew) and we were sure to visit Babyland General, the “hospital” where the babies were “born,” at least once to get a chance to name a baby.

Needless to say, those dolls have always been my standard of measurement when it comes to other baby dolls.

Another  favorite baby doll of mine is by Corolle – this little guy was super-cute and we both loved it when his eyes closed.  He was adorable even in the box & seemed to be just the right size for my three year old.  And I was bound to love the Madame Alexander Huggums that was given years ago as a new baby present. This is really the most classic kind of baby doll on the market today.

But if I had to recommend one doll today for versatility for both parents and children it would be LaBaby by Berenguer.  My daughter calls it “my heavy baby.”

This doll was purchased as a necessity (if you wonder what necessity could be fixed with a doll you must not have kids), and while pricey compared to other “necessity” purchases I’ve made this one has been well worth the price paid.

The baby doll body is soft rather than plastic from head to toe, and it is weighted so that it can be positioned easily (for tea parties and such). They are available in most stores & online, and they smell really nice too.

The fact that it’s weighted has made the baby useful in other ways as well – some I’d never expected.  The doll was recommended for an infant massage class I decided to take.  The teacher said that it was a good tool because the proportions were right and there was room to practice a stroke on the doll limbs.  Other dolls I had grown up with failed the course miserably mostly because they weren’t weighted or were too tiny.

Moreover, several classic toys are celebrating their anniversaries this year, including:

Hasbro’s My Little Pony – 25th anniversary

Cabbage Patch Kids – also 25th anniversary.

The LEGO brick – 50th anniversary.

Other extremely classic brands who are still turning out quality toys and childrens products are Mary Meyer (turning 75 this year), and Hasbro’s Mr Potato Head who is turning 80 this year!

Check out our recent post for more information on classic toys .