Lennon Sister Rag Dolls - A Stroll Down Memory Lane

Kathy and Janet Rag Dolls

At the A Time to Play showcase in September, amidst all the electronic, battery powered, bright and “learning and development” toys was a different kind of table – one that was more likely to attract a grandmother than any other. And all of the grandmothers in the crowd made their way here. I had made an appointment but arrived early. Kathy and Janet Lennon – two of the four Lennon sisters – have a line of rag dolls and related items. Kathy and Janet Lennon were both there to show off their endearing dolls and I had the opportunity to talk with them and see their heartfelt thoughtfulness that went into developing these dolls. The dolls are exact replicas of the dolls that Kathy and Janet’s Mother and Nana first made in 1949 and later made for each of the girls. They took these with them “on the road” during the Lawrence Welk Show years. The dolls are dressed in vintage outfits and with their sewn on facial features and underwear they are perfect for any age. The line of dolls is multicultural and includes Isabelle, Lily and Sofia.

My grandson, Zach with Danny Boy

But here is my favorite. As readers of this blog know I have a grandson, and they also have a Danny boy doll named after their brother. I think that playing with dolls – boys or girls – is an important part of a child’s development but it is hard to find an appropriate doll for a boy. This one is perfect. It is soft but sturdy and unbreakable.  A little boy can play rough with this doll and do no harm.

The Best Pals line also has doll clothes, a nostalgic tin tea set, CDs, paper dolls (Yes – old fashioned paper dolls – you’ll have to explain how this works for sure), and a set of mini dolls in a travel carrying case. And for Christmas - rag dolls dressed in velvet dresses that each come with a beautiful old fashioned nightgown.

These dolls have received numerous awards including The National Parenting center seal of Approval, iParenting Media and the Toy of the Year award from Creative Child magazine.  These dolls make a perfect gift from a grandmother and provide a child with something from "a time gone by" to play with.

They dolls are not available in all the mass market stores but you can find a local specialy store near you at the Best pals website. You can also order them directly from Amazon by clicking on the links below.