LOL Surprise Dolls: Beginner’s Guide

LOL Surprise Dolls are the new toy phenomenon that have swept the world. Seriously…the world.

We’ve heard reports of them being sold out from Des Moines to Dubai and little girls are constantly asking for more.

So what are LOL dolls? Basically, they are small dolls wrapped in a surprise egg. But…they are so much more.

The makers of LOL surprise dolls are smart because they are integrating the latest toy fads all into one item. Remember the Kinder surprise eggs kids were going crazy for about 3 years ago? LOL dolls incorporate that. Remember the crying, peeing baby doll you had as a child and loved to clean up after? LOL dolls incorporate that. Remember the crazy collectible toy that…well this is every toy series ever…but you get the point. LOL dolls bring many great toy making (and toy loving) ideas into one small ball.

If your little one has been begging for an LOL surprise doll or watching the countless “unboxing” videos on Youtube, you are probably wondering what they are, what the fuss is about, and–most importantly–where to buy them.

Hopefully, this beginner’s guide going to answer all your basic questions about the growing LOL doll universe. So let’s get started…

LOL Surprise Dolls Are Surprise Toys

LOL Surprise dolls come wrapped in a light green surprise egg. (Series 3 packaging is yellow.) You cannot actually see the toys or doll inside the egg when you get it. The doll shown on the ball is almost NEVER the one inside.

So what’s the point?

The whole point of a surprise toy is that you don’t know what’s inside. It’s a surprise! Many mothers may be frustrated by buying a toy and not knowing exactly what it is…

But children love this!

Children enjoy the suspense of wondering what’s inside and then unwrapping it to find out. The process is called “unboxing,” and they can’t wait to tear off each layer until they get to the doll inside.

If you don’t believe that children love “unboxing,” watch this video!

Even if you don’t know what’s inside the ball, you at least know it’s not going to be chocolate. In that way, unboxing an LOL doll is healthier than unwrapping a Kinder egg.

But wait! Don’t throw away the surprise ball!

The surprise ball can be fit together with the attached plastic chain to become a mini-purse carrying case or keychain. If you open the ball, the 1 half can be used as a lounge area for the doll (if you look closely at the plastic you’ll see a sofa or hot tub).

The surprise ball is perfect for little ones who want to take their LOLs with them.

LOL Baby Dolls May be Big Sisters (Tots) or Lil Sisters

This point is REALLY important. REALLY! You do not want to buy the wrong doll!

LOL baby dolls come in two sizes: big sisters, also called tots, and lil sisters.

Big sisters are cute little girls that come with their own accessories. Usually, big LOL sisters have a hat or hair accessory, outfits (maybe two pieces), shoes, and a bottle.

The LOL surprise balls they come in a larger than the others you see at the store but will also be green with polka dots. Usually, big sister balls just say LOL Surprise. Some have the series (more on this later) written on the ball.

LOL big sisters have 7 layers to unbox:

1. Secret message stickers
2. Collectible stickers
3. Bottle charm
4. Shoes
5. Outfit
6. Fashion accessory
7. LOL surprise tot doll with water surprise

Secret message stickers offer a fun little picture puzzle to figure out. Collectible stickers indicate what your doll will do (spit, pee, cry, or color change).

When most girls talk about LOLs, they mean the big sisters. When your little girl is talk about LOL baby dolls, she means the big sisters, unless she specifically says she wants the lil sister. She definitely knows the difference!

Lil sisters are babies in diapers. They are created as a younger pairing that mirrors the characteristics and looks of the big sisters. Little sisters some with accessories as well, but they are usually sized to fit the big sister LOL doll, not the lil sister.

“Lils” come in green polka dot surprise balls, just like bigs, but the ball says Lil Sisters. The ball is also smaller.

LOL lil sisters have 5 layers to unbox:

1. Secret message stickers
2. Collectible stickers
3. Small fashion accessory
4. Large fashion accessory
5. Color change LOL surprise lil sisters doll

Lil are cheaper than bigs but don’t buy a lil if your little girl wants a big. She will keep the little but STILL ask for the big…

Lil Outrageous Littles?

You may see LOL dolls referred to as Lil Outrageous Littles. LOL stands for Lil Outrageous Littles. In the first launch of the dolls, this phrase was written on the package, meaning the doll could cry, split, pee, or change colors. For subsequent manufacturing of Series 1, the words Lil Outrageous Littles were changed to Surprise.

All Lil Sisters only change colors, but Bigs may do more…

Depending on the doll, she has a mouth whole to spit when you squeeze her head, she has a little hole underneath her bottom to pee, or her hair will change colors if you put her in ice cold water.

How is all of this possible? How are lol dolls made?

The head of an LOL doll is made of rubber so it’s flexible. There are two small holes underneath the eyes for dolls that cry and the mouth is just an open hole exactly the size of the bottle that comes with the doll. In case you ever have any problems, the dolls head easily pops on and off the body. The hair is coated with a color change paint that responds to cold water.

The body of the doll is made of hard plastic. Usually, LOL dolls are naked except for painted on socks and shoes. Arms and legs are jointed to move so that you can move your doll easily.

LOL Accessories…More Please!

Each LOL comes with its own accessories. For big sisters, 2 of the 7 layers are accessories; there will be one big and one small accessory.

Big accessories may be hats, headbands, bows, cat ears, etc.

Little accessories are usually shoes.

One additional “accessory” is a bottle charm that comes as one of the layers. The bottle is really important because this is how you get water into the doll to make it cry, spit, or pee.

To fill the bottle, simply squeeze the bottle, hold it inside a small cup of water, and release the bottle. It will fill up and then you can squeeze it into the doll’s mouth.

LOL lil sisters come with an oversized accessory to wear, making them extra cute but frustrating many mothers. However, the good part is that this accessory will fit a big sister PERFECTLY, which means you can dress the big in even more ways.

LOL accessories are extra awesome because ALL THE ACCESSORIES FIT ALL THE BIG SISTERS. Interchangeable accessories will allow your little to mix and match outfits for hours. The dolls will become more interesting and get extra play time…which means more time for you.

LOLs are Collectible

Like any well planned toy universe, LOL dolls are collectible.

What does this mean?

There aren’t just one or two dolls that come out. To ride the wave of popularity, they have to be LOTS of dolls that come out.

Currently, there are 45+ LOL big sisters to collect.

However, in Series 1, the entire LOL universe was only 35+ big sisters.

So you can see that more dolls can be added if desired.

So how many lol dolls are there to collect?

It depends. The packaging shows that there are 45 big sisters AND 45 matching little sisters. That means there are at least 90 total dolls. There’s also a recently launched pet series…

…and now Series 3 Confetti Pop is out…

Series 1, Series 2, Glitter, Pets–Oh My!

Just so your wallet won’t be overwhelmed all at once (and to ride the wave a little girls’ interests), LOL surprise dolls are released in series.

Series 1 LOL Surprise Dolls

Series 1 was the first series of 24 big sisters and 4 lil sisters released. Here are the dolls that were in Series 1:

Series 2 LOL Surprise Dolls

Once Series 1 sold out, there was a short break before Series 2 was released. Series 2 dolls were of a slightly better quality than Series 1 and had more features.

On the collectible image, Series 1 dolls are shown as “napping.” This means you cannot buy them anymore!

Be careful of anyone selling dolls from Series 1 because they are most likely fakes. Yes, an LOL counterfeit market has sprouted because of the immense popularity of the dolls.

Series 2 includes 36 big sisters and 47 lil sisters:

Glitter Series

In addition to Series 1 and 2, the Glitter series has been launched. Surprise balls from this series are white with pink pictures and have Glitter series written below LOL Surprise.

The 12 dolls in the Glitter series are versions of Series 1 and 2 LOLs. The clothes are slightly different and the hair and outfits glitter.

The Glitter series is special because they are rare and limited edition LOLs.

If you and your little one are trying to collect them all, buy the Glitter series as soon as possible before it sells out.

Series 3 (Pets)

One of the latest additions to the LOL universe is the Pet series (Series 3). Now your little one can enjoy kitties, puppies, bunnies, and hamsters styled like LOL bigs and littles.

Pets come in a small yellow ball and have 7 layers:

1. Secret message sticker
2. Collectible sticker sheet
3. Water bottle charm
4. Scooper
5. Shoes
6. Accessory
7. LOL surprise pet with water surprise

Accessories from the surprise pets will even fit bigs and littles!

So far, 18 pets have been launched in the series.

There are certainly more to come! If you and your little one are into animals, the Pet series will be a great addition to your LOL collection.

Series 3 Confetti Pop

Another series of LOL dolls was launched in December 2017 called Confetti Pop! This new series of Tots and Little Sisters comes with some exciting additions. Read our article on the Confetti Pop series for more…

Welcome to the World of LOL

Of course, in a world of LOLs you’ll need more fun products and games to keep your little one engaged.

LOL Ball Pop App

Of course there’s an app! Even for LOLs.

The LOL Ball Pop app is a game available for free download in the Apple App Store, on Google Play, and at Amazon.

The game is pretty fun…even for parents.

It’s also simple enough for 4 year olds.

Basically, players launch little different colored surprise balls to the top of the screen. Stick enough balls together and they will pop. Pop enough balls and you can unbox an accessory (just like you’re unwrapping a real surprise ball!). Unbox enough accessories and you get the LOL doll that matches the accessories.

Just like in real life, you can collect more dolls if you play the game more. Playing the online game is a great way to give your little the LOL feel without buying more dolls OR to see if your child likes LOLs before you actually buy one.

Series 2 and 3 LOL Surprise Charm Fizz

If your little needs an unboxing fix, but you can’t find any LOL dolls, you can get her a Charm Fizz.

This fun ball is also a surprise toy! Your little can unbox the 3 layers and slip the ball in cold water to see if fizz.

The 3 layers are:

1. Ring tattoo
2. Sticker decal for charm accessory
3. Charm accessory

The charm can be attached to a backpack or lunch bag.

LOL Surprise Charm Fizz Factory

So your little one loves the fizz balls?

Then make them yourselves with the LOL Surprise Charm Fizz Factory.

Little ones can make balls to give to friends or to enjoy the unboxing-fizz experience over and over.

Here’s what’s in the set:

1. Fizz factory playset
2. 3 exclusive charms
3. 1 baking soda
4. 1 citric acid
5. 2 colors to mix
6. 1 funnel
7. 1 measuring spoon

If you have a little one that is into science or art, get this toy! It is perfect for combining those early fascinations with their interest in LOL surprise dolls. Playing with the LOL surprise fizz factory is a great opportunity to teach color mixing, basic chemical reactions, and more…

LOL Surprise Big Surprise

The ultimate LOL surprise ball is the big surprise. It’s that massive glittery brown ball you’ve seen hanging behind the checkout counter in the toy store or set aside at your favorite mass market retailer.

Big is the best way to describe this ball. Inside are 50 unique surprises. To be clear, NOT 50 LOL surprise dolls. 50 surprises that range from ring tattoos to stickers to accessories to dolls.

The surprise ball is for the LOL lover who has everything. It’s also great if you’re spending for birthday/Christmas combined or want to give one ball to two (or more) girls.

LOL Surprise Board Game

LOL lovers will appreciate this new addition to Game Night. The LOL surprise board game is a simple board game for children 5+ who love LOL dolls.

There is a round game board and players must try to collect all the accessories to put in their surprise balls.

Each game also comes with 3 accessories (usually water bottles) and 1 surprise accessory.

The surprise board game has a lot of pros: affordability, official, and not online (for moms concerned about screen time). It may even spark your little one’s interest in other board games.

LOL Surprise Puzzle

A new edition to the world of LOL is the 60 piece LOL Surprise Puzzle.

Just like the board game, this super cute puzzle is a great way to introduce your little one to “non-digital” fun.

True to the LOL surprise style, this puzzle is a surprise! Your little one won’t know which puzzle she is putting together until she’s got all 60 pieces in place.

The puzzle comes in this cool ball shaped packaging…and the eventual puzzle is shaped like an LOL ball, too.

Now that you have read our Beginner’s Guide to LOL Surprise Dolls, you can see why these dolls are a worldwide phenomenon.

LOL surprise dolls are super cute, collectible, and part of an ever expanding doll world. They mirror the same toy trends of today–like surprise eggs–while reminding moms of the baby dolls they grow up with and loved.

Do they have the staying power of Barbie or Peppa? Only time will tell so you need to get them while they’re hot!

Want to know how much LOL Surprise dolls cost and where to buy lol dolls? Click here for the latest pricing for big sisters and little sisters from authorized sellers.