this adorable barbie looks ready for some fun. she appears younger than most barbies. she's wearing a lavender dress with butterfly-print and a long, gold heart necklace. her shoes are peach-colored, high-heeled sandals.

if your child loves wearing ponytails or has red hair, she or he will feel a connection with this barbie.

this barbie has blue eyes. her skin tone is darker.

bonus:  any butterfly-lover will be thrilled with this barbie, too.

maybe she's all ready for school or going to a friend's sleepover. maybe she's about to play the piano in a concert. or maybe she is volunteering at church.

your child can make up scenarios for the barbie. the point of hands-on play is letting the child figure out all the details and not have things pre-determined and all set-up. it is open-ended, developing thinking skills and also physical skills as a child dresses and undresses barbie, brushes her hair, and moves her around during play. as the brain and creativity are developed more and more, a child will improve in other skills, such as artistic imagination, language development, and coordination.

encourage children to create a little world for the barbie. a "desk" can be an upside-down mug or a stack of books and her sitting on a mug for a "chair." 

a child can make a bed with folded hand towels and a folded washcloth for a pillow.

a child could make "books" for barbie using the cardboard from cereal boxes in recycling. 

barbie can go outside and play, too! maybe. barbie loves swinging and sliding and teeter-tottering!

don't forget:  this barbie watches for all the butterflies!

educational, environment-awareness ideas: 

- give your child a magnifying glass to quietly approach a sitting butterfly and take a closer look

- your child could take butterfly and barbie photos with your phone

- your child can draw/colors pictures of her day with barbie and/or pictures of the butterflies they saw

a child can play with barbie on his or her own. barbies also make great toys for playdates with friends. 

ask an older sibling to spend a half-hour playing barbies with your younger barbie-lover. who knows...maybe that half-hour will turn into an hour or two...

for ages 3 and up

by mattel, from the "fashionistas" barbie line