I'm a strong believer that every child should be able to find toys that represent them and their friends, and so are One Dear World. They have created 4 different dolls which represent children from different ethnic backgrounds, and they are currently crowdfunding to make a range of dolls with disabilities.

One Dear World have offered one of my readers a doll plus an extra outfit as a Christmas present...


This is Hope and she was born in Ghana. She has 3 good friends - Parth, Lea and Jun. I did a full review of Hearty Hope last month and I think she's excellent. She is beautiful quality and the perfect size and weight for young arms to hold.

One Dear World are a company I approached because I love their ethos. They create dolls that genuinely represent a diverse range of children - boys and girls from different backgrounds, with different skin tones and hair colours, and One Dear World are also crowd-funding to extend the range to include dolls with disabilities.

We've been sent a doll for review and one of the Fair Trade handmade outfits, which I'll be passing on to a little girl who I know will really appreciate it...


Our doll is Hearty Hope, and her backstory is that she was born in Accra, Ghana and moved to London with her parents. The packaging is mostly unbleached card and she comes with her own little passport. She's 32cm tall and not heavy to hold.


She has beautiful curly hair and dark skin, and when she arrived was wearing a really pretty embroidered white sundress - with bloomers underneath to protect her modesty! The clothes are removable and it was really easy to change Hope.

At The Brick Castle we love science and we love the fact girls are getting their share of interesting science toys too. SmartGurlzUK are a new company who are passionate about getting girls into coding and engaged in tech toys from an early age, and they've come up with a really cool way to do it, creating a unique toy that supports STEM learning.


This is an interactive self-balancing robot scooter and doll that connects via Bluetooth to a tablet or phone via a free app. It has a range of features from remote control free-play, instructional coding challenges, games and coding area (using block code/ scratch approach). The range of features means it’s suitable for all ages from 5 to 16 years.

My boys don't play with dolls any more sadly, generally they prefer more wheeled or construction toys - cars and LEGO. I am however still a big fan of Lottie Dolls - dolls that look like children, with the healthy body shape of your average 9 year old.


There are loads of different dolls and doll sets, as well as outfits and accessories. Because Lottie Dolls are like 9 year old children, they do things that 9 year old children like doing. A couple of years ago we reviewed a boy doll from the range, Finn the Kite-Flyer and the 'Gone Fishing' accessory pack.

I have an extra Bratz Christmas Present giveaway that I wasn't expecting. As well as the InstaPets, Bratz have just released Radio Controlled Bratz Doll Hoverboards! These are brand new and I haven't even seen one in person, but they look pretty cool...


The Hoverboards are available with Cloe and Yasmin dolls, and just like a real hoverboard, the Bratz Hoverboard goes forward, backward, and does a full 360° turn, while the adjustable doll stand enables your doll to stand on the hoverboard while it's in motion.

Bratz Dolls were a regular feature in our house up until a few years ago. One of our girls had several, and a house, and played with them for hours. They actually look a lot more like real humans now, but they're just as sassy and modern, and just as popular. The latest range are the Bratz InstaPets, and I have one to give away to one of my readers...


The Bratz take their style inspiration from anywhere, and that includes their kawaii cute spirit animals. There are 5 different dolls, each with their own pet and matching accessories.