Hearts for Hearts Girls

My daughter was so excited to come downstairs one morning last week and see a new doll sitting on the counter, waiting for her. I told her that as long as she was good, we would open it up and she could play with her later that day. (she had been rather mean the evening before, so it was a well-timed arrival that I could use this new toy to inspire good behavior).

After a successful day of being on her best behavior, we finally opened up the doll. Being only 4 years old, my daughter was a lot more interested in the doll than the story behind the doll. As an adult though, I knew that this was more than just a doll. We had received the Hearts to Hearts Girls doll - Lilian of Belarus.

Changing the World One Heart at a Time! That is the goal of the new Hearts For Hearts Girls doll line and fashion collection from Playmates Toys. The collection features six dolls from around the world, each with an inspiring story to share.

Meet the six Hearts For Hearts Girls:

Meet Consuelo from Mexico City. Colorful and warm, Consuelo provides aid to hungry children who are homeless and live on the streets near her parents’ bakery.

Meet Lilian of Belarus. Determined Lilian provides aid to girls whose parents must find work in the big city and are forced to leave their children with orphanages.

Meet Dell from the heart of Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains. Dell creates music and knitwear to share with others in need of warm clothing.

Meet Rahel of Ethiopia. Rahel, who dreams of becoming a doctor so that she can make a real difference for people in her region, journeys with her family into the wilderness of Ethiopia to help bring back aid to her community.

Meet Tipi from Laos. Based on a real girl who shares her art and storytelling with others through dancing, drawing, and puppetry, Tipi leads her school in a mural contest in hopes of winning much-needed books for her class.

Meet Nahji who hails from Assam, India. Brave Nahji breaks tradition to bring courage and education to the girls who work in the tea fields of India.

Each doll is 14" tall and comes dressed in culturally inspired clothing. Each doll includes a "girl-sized" Hearts for Hearts friendship bracelet. It also includes a story booklet that shares about the doll's life. Included with the purchase of doll is a special code that unlocks a free membership to the kid-safe Hearts for Hearts Girls website.

I checked out the website and even with out the free membership, you can read Real Girl stories, which features stories about girls in countries that are making a difference in their community. You can also read and learn more about each doll and their country. You can also play the games in demo mode. By logging on with the free membership, your daughter can access the full games and a special "myHeart" page. There is also access to the doll's diary, where she continues to share about her life.

Additionally, through a partnership with World Vision3, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each Hearts For Hearts Girls doll is donated to programs that support girls in that doll’s country. Whether it’s malaria nets in Africa, schoolbooks in Asia, or food supplies in the United States, these programs help girls to thrive and succeed.

I always allow my kids to play and interact with toys that I am reviewing. I like to watch how they play with them. I ask them what they like best about the toy, as well as what they don't like. Lately, I have been allowing my son to type up his reviews. Then, I usually grab the toys for the evening so that I can have them at hand while I am writing up my post. My daughter was not willing to give up the doll, even for a night (she has slept with her most nights since opening her), told me that she would write it for me so that she could keep the doll for the night. Here is what she wrote:
(She is good with letters, but not so good with proper use of upper/lower case or layout. This says: My little girl liked the doll) When I asked her what she liked, her response was "everything about it!" I'd say that is a pretty good review!

I think that my daughter really likes that she can comb and style her hair. Most of our dolls do not have hair, or certainly not enough to brush. She even came with her own pony tail holder and comb. I should clarify by saying, my daughter likes to comb her hair and have me braid it - an art that she hasn't mastered. She also likes that the doll can stand on her own - none of our other dolls can do that. She would like to have clothes to change her, but I have not seen that they have them available.

Not only does my daughter like the doll, but I like that there is an educational piece with the back story on the doll, the inspiring stories on the website and the donation made for each doll purchased to children's programs in the home country.

Want to get one? You can visit Playmates Toys to purchase Hearts for Hearts Girls . Enter the coupon code “DUXNT4S1” to receive $3.00 towards the purchase of a Hearts for Hearts Girl doll today! The dolls are also available through select retailers.

Want to learn more? You can visit the Hearts for Hearts Girls Website and Like Hearts for Hearts Girls on Facebook.

No compensation was received for this post. We received on Hearts for Hearts Girls doll from Playmates Toys for our review through MyBlogSpark. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.