Baby Alive Grows Up is a super popular toy that I’ve been trying to get my hands on since before last Christmas. It was one of the hot toys last Christmas, and it will likely be very popular again this year. I wasn’t sure if this toy would be just another gimmick, but I finally gave in and ordered it. I wanted to share my review with you now so that if you’re like me and have been waiting, you’ll know whether the Baby Alive Grows Up Doll is really worth it or not.
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What is Baby Alive Grows Up Doll?
So first of all, what is so special about this doll? Well, the whole Baby Alive line by Hasbro is basically meant to be an interactive or “alive” doll line. Other dolls that were previously released in this line eat, pee, poop and talk. The Grows Up doll literally grows right before your eyes.
She starts out as a newborn baby, but grows as you feed her and interact with her first into a baby and eventually into a big girl. The doll physically expands and “grows” by 4 inches (10cm) in size. Like many of the other Baby Alive dolls, Baby Alive Grows Up speaks and interacts with you. She learns to sit up and how to say her first word as she grows. She makes sounds when you feed her and has over 75 phrases she can learn. Her hair will also get longer as she grows. You can even reset the doll back into newborn mode to keep the fun play going.
Baby Alive – Growing Up Stages
- Stage 1 – Newborn: The doll starts out as a newborn baby. She is swaddled and will coo and open her eyes when fed to reveal her eye color. She is also wearing a hat when she first is unboxed, which can be removed to reveal her hair color. Once baby is fed and rocked enough, she will transform into the next stage: baby!
- Stage 2 – Baby: Once fed and rocked enough, baby will kick out her legs breaking out of the swaddle and transform into a baby. She will then be able to sit up and learn her first words. The stage 2 box includes a bib and food pouch to feed baby. Baby will respond to feeding and playing with babbling that eventually turns into her first words and full responses. Eventually, the doll will be ready to stand up and transform into a big girl. She’ll let you know this by asking to stand and saying “Press my bracelet, hold my hands, help me grow!”
- Stage 3 – Big Girl: Once the doll is stood up and her bracelet is squeezed, baby will physically expand to the full height and be in the big girl mode. If you brush her hair (and give a bit of a tug), her hair will grow into a full pony tail. Additionally a skirt and shoes are included for playing dress-up with the doll in the big girl phase.
How do I reset Baby Alive Grows Up Doll?
The doll is reset by using the switch on her neck. The switch should be set to “Mommy” or “Daddy” mode on the right when on. To reset the doll, push the switch all the way to off. I usually remove the big girl accessories and lay the doll down face up at this point so that the legs can retract. After a few moments, switch back on to the desired mode. The doll should shrink back, and then you can push the legs back up and swaddle the baby in the provided blanket. Voila, back to baby!
Baby Alive Grows Up – Product Details
There are 3 variations of the Baby Alive Grows Up Doll currently available: Sweet, Happy and Dreamy. Each of these variations has 2 different possible eye color and hair color variations. Making a total of 6 variations in all: Sweet Blossom or Lovely Rosie, Happy Hope or Merry Meadow, or Shining Skylar or Star Dreamer. The dolls also can speak in Spanish or in English.
Additionally, the doll can be set to “Mommy” or “Daddy” mode which changes if the doll addresses it’s caretaker as Mommy or Daddy. The Baby Alive Grows Up doll is recommended for ages 3 and up. The doll does require 4 AA batteries, but they are included, and the doll will work right out of the box. A huge plus as most toys don’t include batteries. The doll weights a little over 4 pounds and is 4.49 x 15.98 x 14.02 inches in size. The doll retails for $49 on Amazon currently.
Pros:
- Truly unique concept of a growing doll
- Entertaining and Interactive doll (speaks, sits and grows)
- Repeatable Play
- Speaks English or Spanish
- Addresses “Mommy” or “Daddy”
- Surprise eye color and hair color makes for a fun reveal
Cons:
- Some reviews mention the doll malfunctioning and not resetting properly (seems highly prone to breaking)
- Does not include other Baby Alive features such as eating, peeing or pooping
- Onesie is not removable, which makes dress up options limited
- Swaddle doesn’t stay on the doll very well
- Relatively Expensive Toy
Final Review – Baby Alive Grows Up
My daughter absolutely loved playing pretend parent to the Baby Alive Grows Up Doll. She was thrilled from the moment she saw her. In fact, the first evening she had her, she played with her for well over an hour before bed. She reset her at least 3 times to grow up all over agin and would not put her down that day. She even tucked her in right beside her to sleep. It was so adorable! Like all young kids, my daughter does have a short attention span, so I appreciate toys that aren’t simply tossed aside in just a few minutes.
She has continued to play with this doll at least once a day. I really appreciate that the growing stages are repeatable (especially with so many one time use toys out there these days) to keep her coming back for more. She loves all of her baby alive dolls, but this has now become her favorite.
Final Thoughts
While I do think there are some tweaks that could make the doll better, overall I think this doll is a winner and worth the price. The growing doll is truly a unique concept that I have not seen with any other dolls. Additionally, the interactivity of the baby alive dolls is awesome; children just love hearing their baby alive doll talk and feeding them and following their requests. Younger children may require some assistance to reset the doll back to the newborn stage, but it is really simple to reset.
I do wish that the swaddle stayed on a bit better, it falls off if you barely move the doll, but that’s honestly my biggest complaint. If you have a child who loves playing pretend mommy or daddy, I truly think they will adore the Baby Alive Grows Up doll. I personally think it is well worth the higher price as they will get a lot of use out of it with the repeatable play. I think it would make for an excellent birthday or Christmas gift for little kids as well.
Have you tried out the Baby Alive Grows Up Doll? If so, I’d love to hear what you (and your littles) thought about it in a comment down below.
Thanks for stopping by! If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to check out my review of the Little Adventures Toddler Costumes and Dress-Ups.
I just found one of these at a kid’s consignment sale without anything else with it and didn’t know what it did – I told each of my toddlers to pick out a toy and I made sure it was under $10 and this is what my baby obsessed two year old daughter picked for $8 and my three year old son got the sea patroller (Paw Patrol). I had to do some research to figure out what the heck this thing was. Your blog helped me sort it out and how to reset and all that fun stuff – they have been fighting over this toy all day, ha! Not a bad thing because like you said, continuous play toys can be rare. This was a gem to add to the collection. It’s the only baby my son is interested in playing with and it’s so, so cute watching him and my daughter play with the babies! Another perk is that it appears you can feed them any baby bottle and it works the same so I didn’t need the accessories with it. It’s a steal for $8!