Where to Shop for Dolls in Boise, Idaho

When my daughter was younger, we had a terrible time time finding a nice, old fashioned baby doll for her. Those play dolls are hard to find, and after a year of searching, we eventually stumbled across a Gerber Baby doll at Shopko on Broadway Avenue, of all places.

Boise is pretty limited when it comes to finding dolls for a small child to play with. Most retailers will carry a somewhat limited selection of dolls for toddler, focusing instead on Bratz, Barbies, My Scene and Polly Pockets. So where does a parent go to find an old fashioned doll that a youngster can play with?

The Children's Store at 1346 S. Orchard in Boise is an old fashioned toy store with a wonderful selection of dolls. This store is filled with quality toys built to last. Their phone is 208.322.4366.

KB Toy Liquidators at 6902 South Eisenman Road, in the Boise Outlet Mall is a discount liquidation store that never carries the same kind of merchandise twice. In the past however, I've turned up gorgeous life-sized Effanbee dolls at KBs; they are definitely worth checking for dolls that don't often turn up in local retail stores. Phone 208.331.1964 for store hours and information.

As much as I dislike the mall area, Toys R Us at 131 N. Milwaukee is worth visiting just for their incredible selection of dolls for girls of all ages. Some of the baby dolls are pretty dorky looking, but for traditional Moms like me, Mattel's "Little Mommy", Fisher Price baby dolls, and "Gotz Maxie Muffin" line of dolls are pretty adorable. For store hours and information, call 208.322.1915.

Build-A-Bear Workshop in the upper level of Boise Towne Square is another toy store with a winning formula. In addition to bears and other cuddly plush animals that children can dress, Build-A-Bear also has a nice collection of 12 inch cloth dolls that little girls can assemble, fluff, and outfit. The doll accessories can present a choking hazard for wee ones who are still putting things in their mouth, and are best for ages 3 and up. This shop is located at 350 N Milwaukee St., and the phone number is 208.321.8200.