I grew up loving American Girl. I loved it all: the dolls, the fancy clothes, the books, the movies, and the magazines. I learned about history, manners, and even puberty from American Girl. I can vividly remember getting my very own American Girl doll. She was the Colonial Era doll and her name was Felicity Merriman. Receiving that doll was like a rite of passage in my family. Getting an American Girl doll meant you were deemed old enough and responsible enough to take care of a rather expensive toy and it was a huge deal.
When I became a mom to three girls, it seemed only natural that I would pass this tradition on.
I didn’t push American Girl on my girls, but when they started to show interest, I jumped on it. The magazines started coming in the mail and I got to watch my girls get excited about the dolls. Then, this last Christmas, my twins received their dolls and it truly felt like a full-circle moment.
This year for their birthday, we decided to do a trip to the American Girl store in Nashville as their gift. It was a blast. If you were a fan of American Girl as a kid, walking into that store felt so nostalgic. There is a restaurant, a doll hair salon, ear piercing (for the dolls and girls), and so many beautiful displays to look at (I will warn you that there is a historical doll from the ’90s and the ’80s now, so you might also leave feeling a little old).
Before we made the trip, I asked friends who had been to the store for tips on how to make it a fun and memorable experience. If you’re thinking about making a trip to an American Girl store with your kids, here is the most helpful advice I received along with some tips of my own to help make your visit a success:
Make Reservations
There are so many fun activities you can do at the store. To ensure you don’t miss out, make reservations ahead of time. Ear piercings, doll hairstyling, tea parties, and dining can all be booked ahead through their website.
Have a Budget/Plan
This was by far the best advice I received. Have your kids look through the magazine and the website to get an idea of what they might want to buy. Then, let them know how much money they are allowed to spend so they can make decisions ahead of time on how to spend it. I feel like doing this before we got there saved us from having disappointments or disagreements.
Eat There
If you can, eat there. We opted to have a small birthday party there. We had cake, ice cream, pizza, and salad. The food was delicious and the set-up was precious. There were tiny chairs, teacups, and saucers for the dolls. Both the girls and their dolls had birthday party crowns to wear during the meal. They got to make tutus for their dolls and their dolls got their hair styled. The whole thing was so sweet and special.
More Things to Check Out
We didn’t do this, but they also offer an American Girl Package with a local hotel. You can stay and have fun extras like a doll-sized bed in your room, balloons, and other fun surprises. Also, the store has special events you can attend with your dolls like ice cream socials and doll hair and manicure days.
