Babysitting with BABY born Interactive Doll

(Contains gifted products) Do you ever watch your children do something and wonder where they learnt it? It's when my girls are role playing I think it is most revealing how they see the world. While they are happily entertained it is the perfect time for me to get on with some work, but I often find myself sitting there watching them or listening outside their room as they act out the everyday world they witness with their own special interpretation. I have been capturing some of these moments on video to share as part of the BABY born Babysitter campaign, but my children are smart, they save their cutest moments for when their back is to the camera or they walk out of shot.

Close up of girl giving BABY born doll water from it's bottle
Playing with dolls is a great way for children to develop their childcare skills

Role Play With Dolls: BABY Born Doll Review


When Little was born M took to her Big Sister role whole heartedly. She wanted to help with everything, but she didn’t really appreciate how fragile newborn babies are so instead we got her a doll to look after. With BABY born she can babysit a little girl (or boy) without me worrying any harm might come to it. The doll can be fed water from a bottle as well as special porridge which she then passes out in either her nappy or on the potty as poo or wee. The BABY born interactive doll also cries silent tears and goes to sleep when you lie her down (she closes her eyes) making it easy for children to pretend she is real. When she wakes up she can be given a bath or even go swimming with them. 

Just like with a real baby it took a little bit of practice to look after our BABY born doll correctly. When giving her a drink of water or food she needs to be sitting upright or she will have an accident (definitely keep a nappy on her while they learn). As soon as you lie her down she will have a wee, but if you want her to go on the potty keep her upright and put her in a sitting position on the potty. Press her tummy button till it clicks to wee and push a little bit further for poo. It makes me wish a real child was so easy to potty train. After feeding or taking her in the bath the doll needs to be handed over to an adult to be cleaned properly which takes a few minutes. She comes with instructions and they are also available on the BABY born website.

Our doll came with a bottle, a potty, a feeding plate and spoon, a sachet of food, a dummy on a dummy clip, a hat, an outfit and matching friendship bracelets for the doll and child. This provides everything you need for hours of play, but you can buy plenty more to expand their world. BABY born doesn't require batteries and I think it's great that all her functions are dependent on the child initiating them allowing them to be totally in control of their play.

Versions of BABY Born


There are lots of different versions of BABY Born and what they are able to do and the accessories change over time. This version is one of the "Interactive" dolls although it's not electronic. It can drink water, eat special porridge it comes with (although then you have to carefully clean the tube inside which is a bit of a pain), wee and cry tears if you squeeze it's arm. The current newest version BABY Born magic (affiliate link) has similar features, but it also has a magic dummy so if you twist it (whatever position the doll is held in) their eyes will close.

A BABY born doll reaching out her hand with her friendship bracelet, sitting next to her water bottle and potty
The BABY Born Interactive Doll received to review

To help my girls with their babysitting we were sent some of the items I would recommend as absolutely essential for any baby: nappies, a baby carrier and a change of clothes. 

The BABY born Baby Carrier (Affiliate link) is a great way for a little carer to look after her BABY born baby. It’s easily adjustable for different size children by shortening the straps and doing the velcro belt up tighter or looser. It took a bit of practice for my eldest to learn to get it on and off correctly, but she soon got used to it. It’s a great way to take baby out with you and where did my eldest decide to take “Violet” on her first adventure on a cold February morning? The beach, because in her imagination and with the power of central heating, there is no need to be cold. She also decided to keep baby face to face so they could bond, but the doll can be turned round to face outwards if the headrest is folded down.

A girl kissing her BABY born dolls head while wearing her in a pin and blue BABY born carrier seat
There are lots of BABY Born accessories available including baby carriers

Easily one of the most entertaining functions of a BABY born doll is being able to give it food and drink and then encouraging her to pass it out the other end. While the doll comes with a nappy, an extra packet or two is a useful buy. When it is just wet I have let the nappies dry and reused them a few times, but there is a limit to how many times you can do this and you obviously wouldn’t want to reuse a soiled nappy either. For any anxious readers, don’t worry I don’t follow the same advice for my youngest daughter’s nappies. My girls found it equally exciting when "Violet" went on the potty so they could see how much wee she had done. 

We were also sent a clothing set with pyjamas and shoes. It’s fun to have a change of clothes and there is a huge amount of choice in the BABY born range so the doll can have as many outfits as their owner! They come with a cute plastic hanger allowing them to be hung up if your children are more into keeping their toys tidy than mine. The pyjamas are perfect for summer and just like the outfit "Violet" came in it has velcro between the legs for easy nappy changing and at the back to help get it on and off. My girls particularly loved the shoes and felt that these were essential for all their adventures.

A toddler in a blue and white striped dress cuddling the BABY born doll
BABY Born Interactive is recommended for age 3 and up

After watching my children’s babysitting skills I don’t think I would trust them with a real baby just yet (the poor “Violet” was tipped upside down and banged on the head a few times), but their heart is definitely in the right place and it’s heartwarming to see how they care for the doll. I’m also impressed that their parenting style didn’t include any shouting, even when M got wee'd on!

The BABY born doll and products are suitable from aged 3 upwards but their appeal reaches well beyond that. With supervision I let Little (aged 2) play with the doll and accessories as well, but there are some small parts and some accessories are a bit complicated for her. I love that she has watched Big Sister playing and learnt what you need to do. It shows just how much (and how quickly) children learn from their siblings. Maybe my eldest would make a good babysitter after all.

BABY born doll wearing one of the clothing sets which can be bought. The pyjamas are short sleeved all in one with cut of legs and the plastic shoes are like pink Crocs
You can buy extra clothes for your BABY Born doll

We have also previously reviewed: Baby Annabell dolls and Luvabella which are also interactive, but require batteries unlike the BABY born doll.

***Disclosure: We were sent products in exchange for taking part in this campaign. You can buy the BABY Born range from Amazon, Smyths, Argos and many other toy shops.***


5 comments

  1. This looks a great doll. We just got Poppy one for her 2nd birthday and a pushchair and she's barely stopped playing with them since we got them! x

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  2. This is such a beautiful post, my youngest learns such a lot from my eldest as well. So glad they had fun with the doll x

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  3. My girls are always looking after their babies just like a mum would. It's really cute to watch!

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  4. I love Baby Born dolls, we have 3 or 4 I think! I think it's so sweet especially watching my son be a 'daddy' to their dolls!

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  5. Aww she looks so happy with the doll :) We don't have any dolls in our house - but I reckon B would love something like this xx

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