What age is best for a dollhouse

[LuxPerpetua]

I have a gorgeous dollhouse in storage for dd. She turns 3 soon but I don't think she's ready for it yet--she hasn't quite gotten into the whole independent fantasy play thing. What age do you think would be best to give it to her? I'm thinking about next Christmas when she'll be 4, but I don't know much about 4-year-olds as of yet. Do you think that will still be too young?

The dollhouse furniture isn't very intricate. It's more like chunky, wooden Plan style furniture, if that makes a difference.

[staceychev]

DD plays with all that sort of stuff and she turned 3 in July. I think it really depends on the kid.

[mama2mygirl]

My dd was playing complicated role-playing games by three. I agree--depends on the child.

[aprons_and_acorns]

My son is almost 4.5 and he just started becoming very interested in the dollhouse at the library and the one at my husband's office (he works with young kids). They are the chunky, preschool type dollhouses.

[Bluegoat]

I'd say it is a good bet it will be appreciated by 4, most kids get really into the imaginary world by that time.

[4Marmalade]

My dd is 3-1/2 and is getting a Plan Toys doll house this year. She's been into imaginary play with figures, etc... for the past few months and I think it's an ideal age for her.

[Tilia]

I would love to know as well. My DD just turned three and I think she would like it. I wanted to get her one of the Plan Toys ones, but I couldn't afford it. I am hoping to get it for next Christmas when she turns 4.

She does have a play kitchen which she loves, but right now she is really into playing drums with the pots and pans, and utensils.

[ErinBird]

We gave my DD a dollhouse for her second birthday in September. She enjoys it and it gets played with near daily (usually just one dolls/one piece of furniture, like she makes the doll go to the bathroom or cook something or take a bath).

[momtokea]

My dd's were 4.5 and 6 when they got their wooden dollhouse. It was perfect for them, and they still play with it. It is the one toy that has been played with the most in our house. I think 4 is a perfect age for it, although 3might be fine, too.

Now that my kids are older, I do think that we gave them a lot of toys a bit too early.

[Justmee]

We got my twins a dollhouse the year they turned 3. If it's not chockable / breakable / delicate I'd let her have it now My kids all LOVE the dollhouse. It's been played with practically daily for 2 years now.

[Labyrinth]

We have a plastic playschool goldilcoks weebles playhouse (bought it for a dollar ) and Alex liked playing with it when he was around 18 months- he liked opening and shutting the door, putting toy cars in it, etc. Not imaginative play, but he still really like it.

[cappuccinosmom]

I got my first when I was about 4-5 yo. From my grandparents. And they would send new things for it every year. I loved that thing and I took good care of it. I finally had to give it up when I was twelve, as it and the half-penny dolls that it came with were just falling apart from age.

My three-year old is only just getting into the imaginative play thing. We have a kid friendly nativity scene that he will sometimes play with. However, more often than not "Mary" and "Joseph" end up going to war with the wise men, which inevitably results in nativity people being hurled through the air. He wouldn't get a dollhouse, even a sturdy one, because he'd find a way to break it.

[Rivka5]

Originally Posted by cappuccinosmom

My three-year old is only just getting into the imaginative play thing. We have a kid friendly nativity scene that he will sometimes play with. However, more often than not "Mary" and "Joseph" end up going to war with the wise men, which inevitably results in nativity people being hurled through the air.

Hee! I love three-year-olds.

We got a little ceramic Nativity set for our daughter, on sale for $2.99 so we figured it didn't matter if she broke the pieces. A little while later I heard her shout out "Mary to the rescue!!" I went in and found the Virgin Mary sitting in the driver's seat of a toy fire engine, with Baby Jesus, in the manger, on top of the fire engine's ladder.

Wouldn't that be a cool Christmas story...

[St. Margaret]

I'm on the floor right now playing with our Playmobil nativity people in DD's little wooden dollhouse. She's played with the dollhouse since about... must have been 10mo? She got into pretending the dolls were eating, bathing, pooping, etc a little after a year I think. We got out the nativity set last week and we (yeah, she insists we join her) have been playing with the "people!" nonstop. Baby Jesus and Mary have been to the bookstore, like to lead circle time, have gone to visit Nonna, have gone sliding, train riding... we think we NEED to get the grandparents to get her some other Playmobil people for Christmas, because it's too funny. "Baby Jesus! Baby Jesus flop down! Baby Jesus sliiiiiide!"

We might upgrade to a big dollhouse when DD is four I think (why I checked into this thread, for a sense of that) and let any younger siblings play with this one.