My daughter got given a couple of soft 13-inch dolls last Christmas when she was 3.5 and has played with them lots. I think one is some kind of Beanie brand.
My grandmother bought her a baby doll for her third birthday but she doesn't play with it as a baby at all, it gets dressed and undressed and plays schools and birthday parties with the others. I wouldn't go for a baby doll unless your child is going to be all maternal over it, as the ones with hair have much more play value, in our experience.
For DDs 4th birthday we got her a Lilydoll. She liked playing dolls, doing hair and dressing them and I really didn't want her to have a Barbie at 4. They seem to have been discontinued in the US but they're available in the UK and on e-bay. They are 14 inch, soft and have sort of fabric hair that doesn't tangle and you can get lots of clothes for them. The clothes are expensive though. I've been sewing my own but adapting 18-inch dolls clothes patterns is a pain - I've got 4 ball dresses to sew by Christmas!
The other thing is whether your daughter would be happy with just one doll. I know I was, but DD lines them all up and plays birthday parties and schools all day. If you're going to end up having to buy her doll lots of friends, a cheaper model might be a better idea.
Groovy Girls are cheaper but a lot smaller than what you are looking for. I have got DD a Groovy Boy for Christmas.
And another thing. How good is she at coping with buttons and velcro and tying bows? I seem to spend my life putting Galapaglos sic' bunches back in...
-- Kate
