Maplelea Girls: A Real Canadian Doll {Review}

It’s rare that I fall in love with a toy alongside my daughter, but when we opened up the box to see her first Maplelea Girl, I was brought back to my childhood and envisioned how amazed I would have been to have received this gorgeous doll.

Maplelea dolls are a Canadian-based business of high-quality 18” dolls. I love the story behind each doll; Charlsea, my daughter’s, is from the West Coast (Salt Spring Island) and likes kayaking and searching for sea stars—just like us! There are seven different Maplelea Girls who come from various parts of Canada with unique stories. There is also the option of choosing between 12 different Maplelea Friend dolls which have various combinations of hair, eye and skin-tone. I love how diverse their ethnicities, heritage and interests are—just like real Canadians!

My daughter was so excited to meet Charlsea, who she quickly nicknamed Charlie.   Charlsea came with the sweetest pair of rain boots (a necessity on the “wet” coast) that are easy for any child to remove and put on; all of the clothes are made with that in mind.   Her clothing choice reflects a personality of being quirky and fun—a great combination for my Nya.  Her body moves naturally which makes her easy to dress, stand up, and embrace in a hug.   Did I mention her hair? It is so, so soft.

One of Nya’s favourite things about Charlsea was that she came with a journal. This journal contains information on her doll’s background, interest, hometown, and places she’s visited! It provides a history of her doll and allows a greater connection by seeing similarities such as the fact that she has been to Whistler and Vancouver Island too. I can see that this aspect of the Maplelea dolls would connect to older girls as they would be able to read her journal in depth and add to it.

Within the first hour, we decided to change Charlie into her Northern Spirit outfit which I’m hoping to find in an adult size, it’s so adorable! The leggings, toque, plaid shirt, and mittens are so relatable to us Canadians; cozy and comfortable. To finish off this outfit are the Storm Stompers with sherpa lining and red laces—how cute are these?! The boots have a Velcro lining on the back which makes them easy to put on and off.   We both really love this stereotypical Canadian look on Charlsea.

Maplelea’s mission is to provide age-appropriate dolls that help to “promote creative play and healthy, active lifestyles, while fostering a love and interest in Canadian culture, heritage and geography”—what a fantastic goal which I feel they have met.   Now, off I go to go check out the other Maplelea Girls and their high-quality accessories!

Looking for the perfect Holiday Gift for a little one? An adorable Maplelea Girl doll and accessories would make a wonderful gift,  Maplelea Girls is part of our Holiday Gift Guide, check out the full 2015 gift guide HERE.

You can also ENTER to WIN a gift card from Maplelea Girls HERE. Ends Nov 20th at midnight so don’t miss it!

Louise Chapman is a wife, mom of three, and indulger of dark chocolate. She loves her husband’s cooking and outdoor family time. She works as a science teacher and photographer and can be found blogging over at Talk Nerdy To Me. There she talks about parenting, marriage, and the eye-rolling, heart-melting moments that come with those roles.  Please join the conversations over on her Facebook page.