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Barbie, is one of the world’s most popular toys and was first released by American toy company Mattel in 1959. Barbie has really evolved since then though, offering a much more diverse range of toys. Not just a fashion doll, Barbie can help children to realise ‘you can be anything’.
The great thing about Barbie products is that there are so many available now and something to suit most. As a parent, one of the things I love about Barbie is that they can encourage children to think about so many different things. Erin and I talk a lot about the future, jobs and how people train for different careers.
It’s so important for children to discover new things in life, especially when it comes to career choices. Although children might not settle on what they want to be at these young ages, playing with toys such as Barbie allows them to think about the possibilities.
A career in medicine
I don’t think it matters what age your children are, they always seem to turn their heads whenever they hear the siren of an ambulance. Often, children might think about becoming a doctor or nurse when they grow up but there are so many more options in the medical field, such as a paramedic.
The Barbie Care Clinic Vehicle Playset offers the best of both worlds with an ambulance that opens up to become a hospital!
Packed full of amazing accessories, this playset is one that children can do so much with. Role-play doctors or paramedics, come up with a whole range of injuries for the patients and figure out how to cure them.
The ambulance hospital comes fully equipped with x-ray results, an eye test, a bed or operating theatre, and crutches and Barbie has her very own doctor’s bag. Don’t forget about the hospital gift shop/ waiting area too, where visitors can buy gifts or sit and read a magazine.
Another medical career option is to become a dentist! The Barbie Dentist Doll Playset comes with dentist Barbie and a small child patient, as well as some fun accessories. Barbie comes equipped with a medical coat, meaning you can use her in other sets easily instead of buying multiple doctor dolls.
The set comes with a cute chair for the patient and a dentist station with a (pretend) light and cleaning accessories. Not only is this such a fun set to play with but it helps children to learn more about dental health, and remind them to keep brushing their teeth!
Become a professional athlete
A few things we really enjoy watching when they’re on are the Olympics, or any kind of athletics or gymnastics. Recently, Erin’s been interested in watching as well and it’s so nice to hear her ask questions about how you get into something like that.
Did you know Barbie is a gymnast? The Gymnastics Doll and Playset comes with loads of cool accessories.
Set up the gymnastic training area, complete with balance beam, clubs and rings and get practising for the big competition. Barbie can change into a different leotard and wear the warm-up outfit while she’s waiting for her turn. There’s even a banana and bottle of water included for when she needs a bit more energy.
Gymnastics Barbie is really flexible and you can move her arms and legs around in lots of different positions. This is great for practising handstands, flips or even to do the splits!
Encouraging creativity
Barbie also has some really creative careers. Whereas some Barbie play sets are huge, there are some fantastic smaller options to choose from as well. The Creative Maker Kitz come with easy to build flat parts, in things such as a Pop-Up Cafe or Pop-Up Boutique.
Not only can you put together a really cool play set yourself, but they can also be customised with stickers and you get additional accessories to make. The sides and bottom are connected by stoppers, and there are only a few pieces to take apart when you’re finished playing. Not everyone has loads of space for toys so these are a lovely idea, and can be taken apart and put back in the box when needed.
Dolls are not included with these sets however, this means that you can use any Barbie (or Ken) doll you already have to set up shop! Make-Up Artist Babie and Pastry Chef Barbie are ideal for these two particular sets.
What I love about this set is that it also really encourages creativity. After putting together the basic cafe, children can really customise it with reusable stickers. They can be moved around and changed whenever needed, which means the cafe can look different every time.
We’re firm believes in telling Erin that anything is possible. With Barbie, Erin can dream to be anything she wants to be.