This post was sponsored by Spin Master as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
There’s something special between little girls and their dolls. That’s not to say, of course, that little boys can’t enjoy dolls too, but as a mom of two daughters, I know firsthand how special this bond can be.
My oldest daughter latched onto a specific doll from a young age and her Lily doll went everywhere with us. I mean everywhere. I was constantly having to clean that poor doll. As a tween, even though she doesn’t play with it anymore, she still keeps the doll close to her bed in her room and speaks fondly of the good times she’s had with Lily.
My youngest daughter has struggled to connect with dolls. She’s been given many dolls as gifts over the years, but for whatever reason, she never really connected with them. Not that there’s anything wrong with not liking dolls, but this really surprised me, knowing how much my oldest loves her doll. Plus, my youngest is very detailed oriented and caring. Why not gravitate toward dolls?
In preparation for the holidays—yes, I like to start early—I looked at the hot toys of the year, sure my youngest was going to ask Santa for one of them. In my exploration, I came across the Mealtime Magic Mia doll. Maybe it was a bit of nostalgia for the dolls I owned growing up, but I really gravitated toward this doll.
I wasn’t the only one. When the package came, my youngest daughter saw the box and just stared at it, fascinated. In a quiet voice she asked, “Mom, can I play with her?” She was genuinely interested. Excited that we might be able to share a love of dolls, I decided to give the doll to her then.
Since then, my youngest has played with Mealtime Magic Mia every day. And it’s easy to see why. This doll is just fun!
Mealtime Magic Mia is the most lifelike feeding baby doll and comes with the most incredible expressions. You get to pick from 10 foods to feed her and she reacts to the food with a bunch of different sounds and phrases—70 in all. Whether it’s carrots or strawberries, you learn Mealtime Magic Mia definitely has preferences! And she’ll let you know.
My youngest daughter’s favorite toys are food toys. She loves to pretend she’s a chef in her toy kitchen, so having a doll that will eat the food she prepares made her instantly fall in love. She loves trying out the food combinations and seeing what Mealtime Magic Mia thinks. It’s also a bonus that she gets to feed the doll with a special light-up smart spoon that changes color to match the color of the food you scoop up. It’s a fitting accessory for today’s technology-obsessed kids.
But it’s not just feeding. Mealtime Magic Mia also interacts as you do other activities with her. Lightly bounce her and she’ll smile. Give her a tickle and she’ll give an adorable giggle. It’s a ton of fun and my daughter has spent hours with this doll.
Watching my daughter play with Mealtime Magic Mia, I started to wonder what it is about dolls that make them such reliable companions. I don’t buy into the idea that dolls are conditioning or training little girls to be mothers. Let’s be real: nothing really prepares you for being a mother until you are one, but I do believe playing with dolls is a good thing. And I’m not the only one.
A recent study found playing with dolls actually has positive societal benefits on kids—both girls and boys. While playing with dolls, the part of the brain associated with empathy and social information processing activates. This means kids are developing greater empathy and care while playing. And in today’s society, isn’t that something we could use more of?
It makes sense that Mealtime Magic Mia would help build empathy and caring. After all, while playing, you’re learning to pick up on the cues of what she likes and doesn’t like and are able to respond to better care for her. Learning to pick up on those subtle clues are important social skills for the real world.
I’ve been really impressed with the Mealtime Magic Mia doll. It’s no wonder it’s such a popular choice for the holiday season. I highly recommend it. And thankfully you won’t have to throw elbows to get one. You can find Mealtime Magic Mia/Maya at Target and Walmart.
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