My two-year-old has recently entered into the imaginative stages of play. I could seriously sit and listen to him play with his toys (or inanimate objects) All. Day. Long. The dialogue kills me. I’m continually amazed at how much he picks up on throughout an ordinary day and how, at such a young age, he is able to incorporate these experiences into his playtime. Watching my son become more animated in his play makes me think back to my childhood and all of the memories I have playing make-believe.
When I was a little girl, I would spend HOURS in my room playing with my dollhouse or my teddy bears, and create worlds and scenarios and happy endings galore. To this day, I have a bit of a stuffed animal obsession, which is probably why Hazel Village’s Organic Animal Doll collection makes the little girl in me happy as a clam at high tide. Unlike the perfectly sculpted and likely repetitive story lines I came up with as a girl, Hazel Village has gone above and beyond by not only creating the most adorable stuffed animals, but each doll has its own backstory as well. Queue: even MORE potential for imaginative play and creativity for my young ones and yours!
Lets start with the foxes: Owen Fox and Reginald Fox. Owen Fox is 15 inches tall and happens to be an excellent dancer. He blames it on his “low center of gravity” but his friends believe it is due to his high amount of energy. Owen Fox’s favorite place to practice dancing is in his tree house that he keeps secret from everyone else. But what’s not a secret is his love for fish fry parties with all of his friends that he hosts occasionally!
Reginald Fox visits his garden each morning carrying his red shiny bucket to catch slugs. After tending his garden, he takes the slugs to the edge of the forest to let them go free. Keep in mind, this is every morning! After lunchtime, he takes his boat out on the pond to nap and work on his novel. He writes fiction, and loves to incorporate different experiences he has, and people he meets, into his writing. Traveling is his favorite because he enjoys the excess time to think.
Hazel Village Organic Animal Doll - Reginald Fox
Now for some mice: Oliver Mouse and Catalina Mouse. As you can probably imagine, mice are quiet little guys and don’t like to share much about themselves. Because of this, I only know a little bit about Oliver Mouse. He is in charge of Valentine’s Day each year. He also likes the fire and sparks from Lewis Toad’s kiln so he offers to help him out a lot with his potter’s wheel.
Hazel Village Organic Animal Doll - Oliver Mouse
Catalina Mouse is quite into fashion. She especially loves basic bonnets and is particularly happy wearing her red one.
Hazel Village Organic Animal Doll - Catalina Mouse
At 14 inches tall, Phoebe Fawn is the perfect height to be the Village Orchestra Conductor and Concertmaster. She holds orchestra practice with her forest friends in the field as the sun is setting. When asked what her favorite instrument is, she’ll reply with the pan flute. Apparently, it’ll never go flat and any animal, even one with hooves, can play it.
Hazel Village Organic Animal Doll - Phoebe Fawn
Fancy Juliette Rabbit is just that: fancy! From the tips of her ears down to her toes, she measures 15 inches. Her favorite activity is painting china. So far, her most fun theme has been cornflowers, with a close second of pond life, with tadpoles and algae incorporated into her artwork. Her clothing is less baby friendly because of smaller pieces, but removing the booties and crown allows her to be just as childproof as the rest of her friends.
Hazel Village Organic Animal Doll - Fancy Juliette Rabbit
We already know a little bit about Lewis Toad thanks to Oliver Mouse. Lewis loves working his potter’s wheel but he is afraid of the sparks from the kiln because he has no fur to protect him from burns! Thankfully, his friend, Oliver Mouse, is happy to help! Lewis Toad is especially crafty on the kiln because of his webbed hands. Organic cotton jersey makes up this 14-inch forest friend, which sets him apart from all of his buddies that are each made from organic cotton fleece. That makes sense, as he is the only amphibian in Hazel Village!
Hazel Village Organic Animal Doll - Lewis Toad
