Mattel's Gender-Neutral Dolls Are An Incredible Way For All Kids To Feel Included

The toy world is no longer divided into Barbie dolls for girls and action figures for boys. Today, Mattel's gender-neutral doll kits hit store shelves and online retailers. These customizable toys are all about letting kids be kids and toys be toys, all gender aside.

Mattel's new line is called Creatable World, a line of customizable doll kits that allow kids to choose their doll's hair and outfit, and change them out easily whenever they wish. The company developed these dolls with the input of a huge team of experts, including parents, physicians, and most importantly, kids, to ensure their product was representative and fun.

“Toys are a reflection of culture and as the world continues to celebrate the positive impact of inclusivity, we felt it was time to create a doll line free of labels,” said Kim Culmone, senior vice president of Mattel Fashion Doll Design, in a press release from Mattel. “Through research, we heard that kids don’t want their toys dictated by gender norms. This line allows all kids to express themselves freely, which is why it resonates so strongly with them. We’re hopeful Creatable World will encourage people to think more broadly about how all kids can benefit from doll play.”

Each Creatable World character comes with a short and long wig to allow children to pick their doll's hairstyle, and numerous clothing options to create any outfit they choose. Skirt? Pants? Skirt over pants? Anything goes with these toys and their fashion-forward outfit options. Between all the options available to style the doll, more than 100 style combinations are possible.

The six Creatable World dolls include a variety of skin tones, eye colors, and hair textures, too, to represent as many kids as possible. These dolls are also a little different from Mattel's traditional Barbies in other ways. They bend at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles so kids can play out any scenario and pose them for fun photo ops. The dolls also come without names to avoid assigning any specific gender, meaning kids can choose their doll's name, or give them multiple names if they use them as multiple characters.

The Creatable World Instagram account is even taking age-old sayings and stereotypes about gender and remixing them for a new generation. One video shows a doll transforming the words of, "Dolls are for girls," into, "Dolls are for kids." In another, a different character swaps out "Boys will be boys" for "Toys will be toys." Mattel is totally owning their new take on gender inclusivity, and betting that parents and kids are here for it, too!

Mattel's Creatable World customizable doll kits are available at Walmart and Target, and online via Amazon for $29.99 beginning today. Be sure to snag them while they're in stock, whether you plan to give them to your kids right away or save them for the holidays! Either way, your child is sure to love their new customizable friend. More info on each doll is available at creatableworld.com.