The new Barbie doll, which is taller and more appealing to children under 3 years old, has been launched
NEW YORK (AP) — Love her or loathe her, Barbie has been transformed again, this time into a version for children as young as 3.
My First Barbie launched Thursday without the hourglass figure. July’s live-action film About the icon starring Margot Robertbie and Ryan Gosling
Barbie is slightly less muscular than the tall, petite, and curvy Barbies released five years ago as part of a huge makeover.
My First Barbie measures 13.5 inches tall. This Barbie is 2 inches higher than traditional Babs.
Her style is more child-like with star, star, and flower designs on jammies, and flouncy, preschool-friendly swimwear and dresses. Her accessories are bigger for smaller hands, and her hair has a longer length for easier brushing.
Like previous Barbies, My First Barbie’s limbs can be moved, and her facial features are still easily recognized. It’s a huge milestone: Barbie’s thumbs and fingers are connected. This eliminates the common complaint that Barbie’s hands get caught up in her clothes as children put them on.
Lisa McKnight is a Mattel vice president and global head Barbie dolls and Barbie. She told The Associated Press that the company had created the new Barbie doll in response to parents’ feedback.
“We talk to parents and kids almost 365 days a year,” she said. “We started hearing a theme around younger kids wanting to play with Barbie. Parents were concerned that their children at the preschool age didn’t have the fine motor skills to have a positive play experience with our traditional fashion doll.”
The doll’s first rollout includes four different skin tones and hair textures.
Critics of Barbie, a 63-year-old Barbie who was intended to be a symbol for a girl in her late teens have long complained that her dimensions promote unattainable and sexualized body standards. My First Barbie at $19.99 goes a long ways in eliminating this issue.
McKnight wouldn’t directly address the criticism or whether My First Barbie has a place in turning around that negative view.
Research is mixed about whether Barbie’s poor body image and adult-leaning fashion sense have an impact on children. Jody LeVos was once the leader of Mattel’s child development team and learning team. She is now chief learning officer for Begin which creates educational apps and other educational material for kids.
Among parents, she said, “there’s a big nostalgia factor” when it comes to Barbie.
“I don’t think there’s one specific doll that’s most appropriate. I think doll play allows children to really practice storytelling skills, perspective taking and social interactions,” LeVos said.
The Barbie line’s overall sales have soared in recent years after a period of decline in 2013.
Joaniko Kohchi, director for Adelphi University’s Institute for Parenting, questioned Mattel’s motives.
“If we’re going to think about Mattel guiding our choices then we have already kind of limited them,” she said.
McKnight stated that My First Barbie would not be an independent, parallel Barbie universe. McKnight said that Barbie’s YouTube channel will feature new content about the doll in the coming months, including an animated special on the planning of surprise parties.
Andrea Werner, a West Hartford, Connecticut pediatric occupational therapist, and mother of a toddler and a preschooler, supports doll play as a developmentally valuable activity.
“There are plenty of dolls on the market,” she said. “Companies will always be trying to sell consumers the next best thing.”
Kohchi isn’t convinced that My First Barbie is appropriate.
“We know that if you’re going to hand a child an image and say, this is beauty or this is wonderful or look how pretty that is, it should resemble the child a little bit more closely,” she said. “It’s certainly still a little older than a preschooler.”
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