A little while ago we had a new arrival in the house. Ollie, the Oobicoo doll.
Ollie is not small. He is lifesized – apparently the size of a 6 month old baby – all I can say is I must have had small six month old babies 😉 He’s almost the size of Tigerboy, who admittedly is on the small size for a 2 1/2 year old.
See?
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Tigerboy adores him. In fact, there was a very sticky moment last week when we went to camp, about an hour down the road, when he started crying because Ollie had been left at home. (In my defense, I had asked him whether he wanted Ollie as we set off, and he was very determined then that he didn’t. Oops.)
Anyway, we survived our half week without him, and they are very happy to be reunited. I am fond of Ollie too – he fits with all my ideals for toys, made from recycled and recyclable materials, and lifesize so that they fit in hand me down clothes. I particularly love this aspect of them, as I adore seeing clothes that are too small for the kids being worn again. I’ve always particularly resented buying clothes for dolls, particularly when they cost more than clothes for small children!
This aspect of Ollie means that he functions well as an aid to manual dexterity – one of the many things I intend to make for our Montessori shelves is dressing frames, which are devices to help children practice clothes fastenings. Dressing Ollie achieves much the same, and is rather more fun. He arrived with a sleeping pod (a bit like a sleeping bag, designed to hold him in sitting position) and a warning not to let him sleep with under 3 year olds, due to his size. This means that I have to go in and sneak him out of the bedroom each night 😉
He also came with a bedtime story, which quite frankly is good enough to be a picture book of its own, and I hope that happens one day – it would be great to see the Oobicoo range extend like that.
Get the impression that I think the Oobicoo lifesize tot dolls are a good idea? I do. And I’ve found myself carting him around on my hip every now and then, when fetching and carrying at Tigerboy’s beck and call (he’s not well, I’m pampering him) and he really is remarkably like a small child. The only thing I find slightly annoying is that he can’t lie down to sleep, but I suppose a doll the size he is would be difficult to make sittable and lie-able if you see what I mean.
At £29.99 direct from the Oobicoo website, I think he’s pretty good value for money, and certainly comparable in price with other larger plush dolls. And like I say, you’ll save money on clothes, by dressing him in those handknits you never wanted to throw away. Why not bring an Ollie into your home this Christmas? (Or one of his siblings, whichever!)
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