[Myamum]

As the title says. What age do you think Barbie dolls are suitable for? The boxes say ages 3 plus. I personally think 3 is too young, maybe 5. Some of the dolls are a bit too sexy looking for a 3 year old. What do others think?

[msro82]

My DD didn't really like them until 4.5 and at 5.5 plays with them occasionally. I would easily say 5+

[tibs]

I wouldn't get them for my 3 year old. The too sexy aspect aside the clothes are just too small and fiddly, I know who would end up having to dress, undress, redress the dolls.

[CocobeanLillylov...]

My almost 4 year old loves them and so of course her 2 year old sister does too. They are both getting some for Christmas - none of which are sexy. They are wearing board shorts and bathers tops or princess dresses. If you think they ate sexy well then that isn't really appropriate for any age child.

I never had a barbie as a child. I never liked them and was surprised to have daughters who do. She is actually kind of cool. She surfs, is a musketeer and does all sorts of wonderful things!

[~THE~MAGICIAN~]

Five year olds don't get sexy anymore than a three year old.

If my DD liked then at 3yrs I would get her one.

This post has been edited by ~THE~MAGICIAN~: 24/12/2012, 05:10 PM

[Oriental lily]

My 4 year old dd is getting her first Barbie tomorrow.
My older 9 year old dd got her first at around the same age.

Who promptly took all her clothes of and threw her over her shoulder never to be played with again lol.

However my 4 year dd this time around has been nagging for it.
She is far more girly than my eldest dd, interested in clothes ect.
My 9 year still cares little for clothes, as long as she is clothed and comfy she is happy.

So I think it's more of an 'interest' thing than age thing. I remember playing with Barbies up to the age of 12!
But I was admittedly a slow maturer.

So yeah anytime after 3 is fine.

I do avoid any doll that looks like a street walker, which bans all of the bratz franchise.

[SlinkyMalinki]

Dd was given a couple at 3, but she's not really interested yet (she's over 4 now).

She adores the Disney Princess dolls of the same size, and one comes with us everywhere.

[liveworkplay]

My 3 year old loves barbies. She has the fairy and ballerina barbies and is getting another for christmas.

The clothes last on them for 2 seconds anyway.......

[Gudrun]

My grandchildren played with the Barbies lying around here from a very young age and still do. Three-year-old grandson plays with them at the moment. I agree that they are harmless.

[Julie3Girls]

Adults might see sexy. 3 and 4 yr olds don't.

And anyway, it depends on what barbies you are looking at. There is a big range.
The 3+ rating is because they don't have a lot of detachable little bits, so can be played with by little ones. The age the child is interested in it is another matter.

My girls loved barbies from about 3 or 4 - they all got a barbie castle for their 4th birthday. Their barbies were fairies, ballerinas, princesses, mermaids. The characters from the barbie movies, which are definitely aimed at little ones.

Then you get more of the fashion type barbies, but they are still just dolls.