Little Friends - Companions for the whole of childhood
Sugar-sweet, brightly colored and bendable – the Little Friends are companions for the whole of childhood, because the little dolls made of sturdy plastic join in every bit of mischief: going on big dives in the bathtub, chasing monsters from under the bed or having a picnic under the kitchen table.
The Little Friends are always part of the action, especially when it comes to what children love most: play, play, play. Classic dollhouse role-play, experiences in kindergarten or with family ... with the little dolls children can reenact their everyday lives. They accompany little explorers as they grow up and help them process their experiences and develop socially. Our Little Friends theme worlds cover all the play settings that little doll players are passionate about – and, with a touch of imagination, come alive like a mirror image.
The Little Friends are like all children – with their own interests, moods and needs. But they all have one thing in common: they're always up for some fun!
Thoughtful design
The characters of the Little Friends are cheeky, curious and spunky. They reference our well-known cloth dolls and convince with their cute, child-friendly look that immediately makes them appealing. Little Friends designer from the very beginning is Ines Frömelt. She explains the idea behind it:
„We want to offer children a real alternative to dolls that are detached from reality, overly stylish or too adult-looking. Children need imaginative toys – above all those that stimulate their own imagination and give them the freedom to realise their ideas.“
That's why the Little Friends look like children of the same age, following the motto: „children for children“. They are made from a bendable wire frame covered with durable plastic. This allows children to bend the Little Friends into different poses.
„Children should be able to see themselves in our Little Friends“, emphasizes product manager Vanessa Ruck-Naß. And so that every child can truly identify with „their“ Little Friend, our range has grown over the past years to include a variety of very different designs and characters.
Another special feature: Because they are so light, small and handy, they fit into even the tiniest (pants) pocket and can therefore be taken everywhere! „My favourite dolls are sweet Mali and the spunky Lisbeth. And because I'm a real dog fan, of course the little puppies are among my absolute favourites. But right after that comes the little piggy!“, smiles product manager Ruck-Naß.
Speaking of which: Of course, animals are another important building block for realistically reenacting a child's experiential world. Therefore, more and more animal playmates gradually enrich the colorful world of the Little Friends.
„My favourite animals at the moment are the elephant group and the giraffe. I am especially excited by the clear design language and the expressive, distinctive colours“, says Ines Frömelt, delighted about the new additions to the Little Friends animal world.
Children constantly observe the behaviour of the adults around them and love to imitate what they have seen in role-play. „That way they like to hold up a mirror to us grown-ups!“, laughs Dr. Jan‑David Freund. The graduate psychologist and product manager for the HABA Learning Program knows: „Children usually name their Little Friends individually and begin to attribute certain characteristics to them.“
If sweet Mali, for example, is afraid of big dogs, it is of course only natural that she only dares to sneak cautiously past the neighbour's garden fence together with her human best friend. „For example, my two sons, aged 1 and 5, immediately included the cow from the Little Friends animal world in their play. She radiates such a friendly calm. Patiently she goes along with everything – whether she has to serve as a riding animal or as the base of an animal pyramid or clumsily tumbles against the block tower. That's why she is definitely also one of my Little Friends favourites“, continues Dr. Jan‑David Freund. With their great design, high-quality material and low weight, the Little Friends simply win the hearts of young and old in no time.
Recreating everyday life
The Little Friends are set in our world and experience everyday things. Exactly what your children imagine for the dolls or want to (re)play.
Our exciting and varied themed worlds make it very easy for children to dive into imaginative stories and experience anything they want together with their Little Friends. How about, for example, an exciting safari or a visit to the farm? The horses there are thrilled about a show-jumping competition at the riding stable. Is an animal ill? No problem! It will be well cared for at the animal clinic. As long as it is being treated, time can be wonderfully spent playing in the treehouse or in the Little Friends' garden.
Those who prefer to travel can go on big adventures with the Holiday Trip and Camping Trip playsets. The Little Friends can relax on the deck chairs and sit comfortably by the campfire. Our stories about the exciting adventures of the Little Friends address everyday situations in a child-friendly way, are perfect for reading aloud or discovering on one's own, and above all do one thing: put you in a really good mood!
By the way: Playing with dolls is important for children's social development. Different role plays, slipping into different identities – briefly „pretending to be …“ – provide children with important impulses for their emotional development. Incidentally and playfully, their social behaviour continues to develop and their capacity for empathy is trained.
Safe play, even digitally
The content on the Little Friends site is child-friendly and safe. The range of offerings is diverse and addresses different interests and needs of children.
Do it yourself
Here you will repeatedly find new craft ideas suited to the stories. These ideas range from child-friendly, simple crafting instructions to recipes and suggestions for you on how to make something nice with or for your children.
Profiles
Here children get to know the Little Friends. Like in a friendship book, Lilli, Mali, Matze and the others reveal what they like to play, their favourite colour and what they like to eat most. This brings the dolls to life and gives children initial impulses that they can incorporate into, adapt or change in their play.
All products in the Little Friends series can be found in an overview on haba.de at Little Friends.
