Parents who are trying to figure out which dollhouse or playhouse to buy for their preschool or young child need to worry about safety issues, sturdiness, ‘playability’ and pricing. There is a huge variety of wooden dollhouses and playhouses to choose from if you are going to be buying one for your toddler or young child.
Safety
In picking a dollhouse for a young child you want to make sure that the dollhouse is not going to have anything dangerous about it. You don’t want to have a dollhouse that is overly ornate with sharp corners and lots of small accessories and furniture items. Go for something simple with only a few rooms and large enough furniture items that they are not going to make their way into a child’s mouth. You also want to make sure that each dollhouse or playhouse has been tested for any type of lead paint or coatings. The Melissa & Doug Company is just one of the dollhouse vendors sold by The Magical Dollhouse that believes in making sure that all their toys meet or exceed government standards and all testing is verified by 3Rd party testing laboratories. Details on all safety concerns and age recommendations can be found on the Magical Dollhouse website on the details section for each product.
Sturdiness
A good wooden dollhouse should be sturdy enough for serious play and interesting enough to keep children involved and having fun. Even a simply constructed wooden dollhouse or playhouse can become a wonderful family heirloom that is passed on to each generation. Children use dollhouses or playhouses to try out different scenarios and act out stories. Choose a dollhouse or playhouse that you as the parent or grandparent can get down on the floor with and play with your child. A dollhouse or playhouse is a great educational tool and a great way to have family fun. Make sure that the dollhouse or playhouse you choose is age appropriate. Almost all dollhouse manufacturers provide information on the suitable ages for particular toys. A dollhouse sold by The Magical Dollhouse for children three and up is the best selling Savannah Dollhouse by KidKraft. This dollhouse stands over four feet tall and comes fully furnished with handcrafted wood furniture. It is also perfect for fashion size dolls.
Playability
A wooden dollhouse that is only open on one side can be great for solitary play but young children like to play together with siblings and parents – they like everybody to be involved. A dollhouse that provides for easy access and cross through play is the perfect dollhouse for young children. Also don’t count out boys. Most serious miniaturists tend to be male, and boys love acting out stories and family activities as much as any young girl. There are plenty of gender neutral wooden playhouses and miniature train sets that will work great for both girls and boys so nobody is left out. The Metropolis Train Table for all young children. The train table features a solid wood frame, a 100 piece train set, a mountain with a drive through tunnel, and a airport with helipad. The So Chic Dollhouse by KidKraft has great playability features as it is open on all sides so more than one child can play at a time and there is plenty of access to the rooms and the furniture.
Pricing
Price is likely to be a factor when buying a dollhouse or playhouse for a young child as they will probably outgrow the toy within a few years to take on more elaborate dollhouses and playhouses. On the other hand, if you make an investment in a sturdy wooden dollhouse or playhouse it is likely to be one of the few items from early childhood that make it to the next generation and becomes a well-loved family toy. At the Magical Dollhouse there are a variety of well priced dollhouses and playhouses that are sturdy and offer plenty of access for play and meet all national standards for safety.
As always if you have any questions on the suitability of a dollhouse or playhouse contact us at the Magical Dollhouse and we will be happy to help.