AA I Can Be a Doctor Play Set: Opinion Post

What’s in the box:

• standard AA Barbie doll with limited articulation dressed in a one-piece fashion with wedge heels and a stethoscope
• 4 ¼ in toddler with molded hair (dress & shoes are removable, molded pink panties)
• examination table with screen that flips when seat is pressed down
• accessories include a bottle of medicine and a treat for the toddler

The most appealing thing about this play set (for me at least) was the toddler. Normally, I don’t like toddler dolls with molded hair but this one is really cute. I thought she’d make the perfect little sister to Zahara.  The Barbie doll is actually quite pretty, too. When I asked my husband if Mara had introduced him to the new pediatrician his reply was, “Yeah, that pediatrician’s hot.” I just shook my head.

I’m not sure why Mattel is calling this a play set as there is not much to play with. Where are the tools that usually accompany pretend play doctor sets? I’ve seen earlier Mattel sets with much more to play with than this one. Also, the examination table is small and flimsy. It’s rather difficult to seat most toddler dolls on it without them slipping off or the table tipping over.

At Mara’s insistence, just about every kid in Dollton has dropped in for a checkup in the past two days, and we’ve had to supplement the limited accessories quite a bit. The important thing, however, is that she absolutely loves playing with this set. She especially likes the flip screen on the exam table. She has given every single patient an X-ray despite my protests that children shouldn’t be exposed to radiation willy-nilly. And I have a feeling we’re going to be scheduling quite a few sick visits and checkups in the coming weeks and months.

I ordered our play set from Kmart.com for $18.99 plus tax, but the regular price is $22.99. I think it is priced about eight dollars more than it should be. It is available at other retailers but may be difficult to find online. For instance, the AA version doesn't even show up in a search on Target.com, but I've seen them in stores for $22.99.

Here’s a pic of the toddler girl in comparison to Kenzie (a friend of Kelly) and Zahara (one of the So in Style kids).

And here is a picture of the toddler girl, now named Faith, with her new family.