Barbie Announces New Doll Geared Toward Preschool Children

My First Barbie's design is catered to how preschool-aged children play.

Mattel is releasing its first Barbie designed specifically for preschool-aged children.

While it might look similar to the original Barbie line, the new My First Barbie is an update based on parents' insight and how younger children play.

According to a press release shared exclusively with Parade, My First Barbie is an entirely new doll line with accessories, with the Barbies available in four different skin tones.

The major differences from the classic Barbie are that it is larger, standing at 13.5 inches, in comparison to the standard 11.5 inches, and it has "a softer body, more articulated arms and legs, closed hands, younger facial attributes, and long rooted hair."

The accompanying accessories are bigger and easier to play with, including Velcro fashion looks.

"Parents had a desire to introduce their preschool aged children to Barbie but were planning to wait until they were older with more developed dexterity," said Tasja Kirkwood, Vice President of Global Consumer Insights, Mattel. "This insight led to the exploration of the first Barbie doll designed specifically for preschool aged children, enabling Barbie to reach even more parents and children with the Barbie system of play."

Along with the new My First Barbie, Mattel is coming out with its first video content made specifically for preschoolers, called My First Barbie: Happy DreamDay. It will be released on Jan. 31 on the Barbie YouTube channel.

Mattel shared that "storylines will focus on core characters while highlighting preschool themes of friendship and family, with simplified plots, original music and relevant life lessons."

My First Barbie is currently available at Walmart, Target, Amazon, and other retailers for $19.99. Mattel.com also sells all of the new dolls, as well as accessories and deluxe sets.

Some of the accessory offerings include a bedtime set, a tea party set, and adorable outfits to change My First Barbie into, such as a birthday party set.