Since I don’t have any daughters of my own, I tend to go a little crazy spoiling my niece. Unlike my sons who began playing PlayStation and Xbox before they were five, my niece still enjoys age-appropriate toys like plush animals and dollies.

Thankfully, she’s taking her sweet time growing up, and is in no particular hurry to move on to Barbies or Bratz. There’s something wonderful about this short, sweet stage — not too young, but not too grown-up, either. Her absolute favorite toys right now are her Polly Pocket dolls. And with her birthday just a few short weeks away, I’m going to do a little comparison-shopping and see if we can’t add to her ever-growing collection.

For those of you not “in the know,” Polly Pocket dolls are fabulous little plastic figures that are incredibly well accessorized. Polly Pocket dolls are about half the size of a typical Barbie, and like Barbie, they’ve got an outfit for just about every occasion. Some of the clothes are rubber, and some are magnetic — it just depends on your taste. Strangely enough, the fact that these little gals are sometimes quite a challenge to dress does absolutely nothing to dampen my niece’s enthusiasm. She and her friends will spend hours just changing them from one outfit to the next, all the while chatting and humming happily without a care in the world.