Character, not catalogue
Six of the organic cotton babies come with a short character sketch from Rubens Barn, and three of them show how much a few lines can carry. Ben likes things quiet and is happiest when someone holds his hand. Disa likes to watch for a while before she joins in. Esmé loves to talk, even if her words sometimes take a moment to arrive.
Put the three together and the game almost writes itself. Esmé has a long story to tell about her morning, and Disa listens from the edge of the blanket. Ben needs someone to hold his hand, because the story has a loud part. The child decides who gets a turn, who gets comforted and when Disa is finally ready to join in. Next time the roles change, and perhaps it is Ben who has something to tell.
The babies come in light, medium and dark skin tones, so the new arrival in the doll family can look the way the child chooses.
Start small, add later
A baby on its own is enough for the first day. The easiest thing to give with it is a bottle and dummy in blue, pink or green, made to fit the babies’ mouths.
For a birthday later on, one of the sets makes a present in its own right. Rubens Barn makes a nappy set, a feeding set, a sleep set and an outdoor set, as well as a play outfit, a dress set and a first aid set. Whichever set it is, it gives the game a new chapter. The dress set, for example, brings a dress, a hairband and a handbag, and the sleep set a toy bunny, a soft toothbrush and a blanket.
Smaller things suit a visit from godparents or grandparents. Pocket Friends pyjamas in pink or green carry a plush pocket friend whose two sides show different moods, and the set of facial expressions goes with them well. The feeding kit with cup, spoon and bib or the knitted hat, scarf and gloves are other small additions.
All of these clothes and accessories are made for the Rubens Babies.
Fabric and filling
Ali, Ben, Carl, Disa, Esmé and Flo are made of organic cotton certified to the Organic Content Standard (OCS). Their stuffing is recycled polyester fibre certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Max and Morra share those materials and come dressed by Maxomorra in a T-shirt and underwear certified to GOTS. A second Max is made of polyester fleece; he wears a romper with a monkey bib, a T-shirt and a nappy, and his thumb fits in his mouth. Rubens Barn pictures him as a baby of around three months. In a playgroup, each child can have a baby of their own or the group can share two, and every Rubens Baby can be washed.