The arms and legs are pretty tiny, so I think those dolls would actually be pretty obnoxious for a small child to make. Hand stitching would leave some pretty big gaps and stuffing would probably come out, not to mention the headache of turning things right-side out after they're sewn.A pillow or a stuffed animal made with felt would probably be better.

Around five is a good age to start sewing, I think.

I know we started before the age of 5 with yarn, yarn needles, and those plastic grids making boxes and christmas ornaments. We progressed to making clothes with a stapler, and I think we were using needles and thread by age 6 or 7.

I agree with Bluspacemunkky--the little arms annoy me even now as an adult! However, I do think that make-it-yourself doll kits are wonderful for creating a homemade doll as a gift. I have had great luck with Bit of Whimsy Dolls; the patterns are affordable (~$6), there are many kinds of dolls to choose from, and new iterations are constantly coming out. The patterns are easy to follow for a mostly-beginner like myself.

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! I didn't even think about turning those little arms inside out. You're completely right. Will look for an easier "no needle" project to start with and see how they do.

Obnoxious??

But I do agree this would be way too tricky for a beginner (of any age, but especially a child).
I bought a five-year-old girl a softie making kit. You embroidered a simple pattern on the front (the lines were marked so it was easy) and the shape was nice and easy with no narrow bits or difficult corners.
You could also just try a basic doll shape... grab a gingerbread man cookie cutter, trace around it, enlarge it (either on a photocopier or by eyeballing it) and you have a really simple, free pattern.