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Dollhouse dilemma


Granny_Weatherwax
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I have a 3 1/2 year old DD.  She's had a Loving Family dollhouse that was passed down to her, and I think she's really close to outgrowing it. Or maybe that's just me.  :)

 

She loves Calico Critters, when we visit stores with them set up.  Loves them. She has a few small sets that are favorites. And she loves playing with older bro's playmobil.  

 

My vote would be CC over the Loving Family set.  

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We had one like this http://www.growingtreetoys.com/brand/ryans-room  for my daughter. My godson (now in college) had a similar one, if not the same brand. I can't remember whether ours was a Plan Toys, Ryan's Room, or a Target knockoff. They both used this basic house with all sorts of things for many years---fisher price, lego, playmobil, etc. Because it was so plain, it worked as well for a fire station or police station as a house. The chunky block furniture is good for a toddler, but you can still use it with more detailed furniture, etc as the child can handle those. It also had add-on levels, garages, etc. The a-frame house was sturdy enough that my daughter used to sit in the side when she was little. Here's the link for Plan Toys  http://usa.plantoys.com/product/function/dollhouses-accessories/ 

 

 

If one wanted to decorate it, wrapping paper taped on makes great wallpaper. We had a Maxim large wooden horse stable at one point---once she was past her horse phase, we unscrewed the pieces, took out the stalls, screwed it back together and it became a Barbie studio apartment with Christmas wrap wallpaper. :)

 

If I could buy any dollhouse at all, and had a young child again, I would love to get something from Magic Cabin toys http://www.magiccabin.com/dollhouses-and-dollhouse-furniture/dollhouses-and-dollhouse-furniture.htm, but they aren't quite as versatile as the others, IMO.

 

If you see a style you like in Plan/Small World/Ryan's Room, do a Google search as you might find better prices. A lot of smaller toy stores carry these.

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Coming back to post that we have another dollhouse that gets a lot of play time - more so than the plastic ones.  Similar to the above, but I found it at Tuesday morning.  Age 3 and up.  It's wooden, with chunky furniture, and the kids put CC furniture in it, playmobil, etc.  So you might consider a house that can be versatile that way.  When we were looking for it last year, we found a great Plan Toy dollhouse on CL, too.  

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Personally I think the FP one is "meh" and the Calico Critters stuff is WAAAYYY overpriced for what you get.  The figures are really cute but the focuses and furniture are cheaply made.  I was thinking about getting my DD5 one of those beautiful "real" dollhouses from Hobby Lobby.  Maybe like this one?

 

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/alison-jr-dollhouse-kit-415273/

 

Very nice, large variety of furniture/accessories, big enough so you can play with all your other dolls and families in it...and I THINK you can use the 40% off coupon on it (??).  DH is fighting me though, saying it is entirely too big for their room (and he's probably right).  Maybe I'm just nostalgic because when I was little my grandma bought me one like this, and she used to paint furniture for it, and knit little rugs and such.  And I am totally not that crafty.  Sigh.

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Oh i was just talking about the dolls and furniture

 

DD currently has the Melissa and Doug fold and go dollhouse she is playing with.  http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3105995&cagpspn=bingplat_4757436&camp=PLAPPCY-_-PID4757436:TRUS&eESource=CASHOP_DF:3105995:TRUS

 

When she is a bit older (maybe age 5?) We intend to bring my childhood dollhouse out of storage.  My parents built it from a kit. One for me and one for my sister. My parents didn't keep the furniture and I want to add a picture of DD to the walls. (Currently one of those frames contains a tiny picture of me) Maybe personalize in some other way.

 

4170017820_e06cd33472.jpgDollhouse4, on Flickr

 

4169255199_d53c89113d.jpgDollhouse8, on Flickr

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Fisher-Price-dollhouse-300x272.jpg

 

We started buying pieces for this doll house for dd#1 when she was 3 or 4.  She is now 21.  DD#3 who is 10 still plays with it.  I will remove the batteries before it gets packed away from my grand babies.  We were in Wal-mart and they had more new pieces but I resisted and didn't buy any more furniture. :)

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My DDs spent much more time playing with Calico Critters and continued playing with them at much older ages than they did with the FP Loving Family. However- the CC are not as little kid friendly (too small, hard for little fingers to dress) and I agree that they are over priced. If you can find sales it isn't too bad. 

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My dad used the Loving Family dollhouse in speech therapy while she was a toddler, so I got one for at home. Did spent hours on it. This was years ago, but at that time we got many, many expander sets with extra furniture and accessories. The extra sets were very reasonably priced, so I got every one I saw, lol. Parenting to excess. We gave it all away a year or do ago, but saved a dining room table with a turkey on it that played 'Over the River and Through the Woods.' Probably tacky, but dd loved it, so it brings back happy memories for me.

 

Btw, my dc were tough on toys, but the LF stood up to abuse.

 

I wish I hadn't bought so much plastic for dc, but that would be quibbling. I did not know about the Critters till it was too late, but a plus of a doll house with people is how it can be used for language development. YMMV.

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Is your 3 year old gentle?  I suggest buying a nice wooden one.  (See vonfirmath's pics.)  Put it on a table so it won't get climbed on and get sturdy furniture.  I have found that the furniture takes a beating more so than the actual doll house.  As your DD gets older you can upgrade the furniture to some nicer things.  

If she's not gentle enough for that option then I suggest the fold an play Playmobil house.  

 

vonfirmath -  Love your doll house.  DD is currently playing with my doll house from when I was a kid.  DH has been fixing it up so it's in good shape because he intends that our grandchildren will play in it someday.  Some of the furniture in the doll house was my grandmother's from her dollhouse.

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Thanks so much for the replies.

 

I have been saving for the Loving Family house but some of the online reviews indicate that the newer ones (manufactured after 2010) are cheaply made and break easily.  I have also heard that rooms are really small and the furniture sets don't fit properly.  

 

Do any of you FP LF people have that experience?

 

I am a bit concerned about the tiny pieces that go along with the CC sets.  But they are so cute.  The fox family.  The hamster family.  The kangaroo family.  Not to mention the babies...so stinkin' cute.

 

 

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We had one like this http://www.growingtreetoys.com/brand/ryans-room  for my daughter. My godson (now in college) had a similar one, if not the same brand. I can't remember whether ours was a Plan Toys, Ryan's Room, or a Target knockoff. They both used this basic house with all sorts of things for many years---fisher price, lego, playmobil, etc. Because it was so plain, it worked as well for a fire station or police station as a house. The chunky block furniture is good for a toddler, but you can still use it with more detailed furniture, etc as the child can handle those. It also had add-on levels, garages, etc. The a-frame house was sturdy enough that my daughter used to sit in the side when she was little. Here's the link for Plan Toys  http://usa.plantoys.com/product/function/dollhouses-accessories/

 

 

If one wanted to decorate it, wrapping paper taped on makes great wallpaper. We had a Maxim large wooden horse stable at one point---once she was past her horse phase, we unscrewed the pieces, took out the stalls, screwed it back together and it became a Barbie studio apartment with Christmas wrap wallpaper. :)

 

If I could buy any dollhouse at all, and had a young child again, I would love to get something from Magic Cabin toys http://www.magiccabin.com/dollhouses-and-dollhouse-furniture/dollhouses-and-dollhouse-furniture.htm, but they aren't quite as versatile as the others, IMO.

 

If you see a style you like in Plan/Small World/Ryan's Room, do a Google search as you might find better prices. A lot of smaller toy stores carry these.

 

Magic Cabin is what I found a couple of weeks ago.  They are lovely and have been added to my wish list.

 

Thanks for all of the links.  I have now added many, many more items to my wish list. 

 

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Thanks so much for the replies.

 

I have been saving for the Loving Family house but some of the online reviews indicate that the newer ones (manufactured after 2010) are cheaply made and break easily.  I have also heard that rooms are really small and the furniture sets don't fit properly.  

 

Do any of you FP LF people have that experience?

 

I am a bit concerned about the tiny pieces that go along with the CC sets.  But they are so cute.  The fox family.  The hamster family.  The kangaroo family.  Not to mention the babies...so stinkin' cute.

For now, when DD gets the Calico Critters sets, I plan to take the tiny pieces out and set them aside. She will open a package containing only the animals and larger pieces of furniture.  (I always take my kids toys out of packages and get them in "ready to play" condition before wrapping since my kids are so little)

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We have both the Calico Critters and Loving Family. The pieces are much smaller for Calico Critters, but much more detail. It was definitely the one played with the most in our house. DD is a Tomboy and more into stuffed animals at that age than people looking dolls.

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My 10 year old DD still plays with her Calico Critters dollhouse.   It's small enough to pack all of the pieces into a shoebox-size plastic bin, and the house itself fits nicely on the shelf of her closet.   I think she got it when she was 4 or 5.   I'm surprised it still gets played with - but it's probably going to be saved for grandkids.

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If I had to do over I'd get the Calico Critters but I got hooked on getting dd babydolls and accessories over the years which turned into American Girl dolls and never did get the calico critters.

 

I am hoping to avoid American Girl dolls for a few more years but she loves her babies and I can see it heading that way.  We are limited on space, though, and I am hoping a doll house with miniatures will help keep the necessity of the larger doll items at bay.

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Bought my DD a Ryan's Room dollhouse and accessories when she was very small (under 2), and she loved it for years.  It held up well, wasn't too "girly" (not her thing), and stood up to lots of rough play from her friends.  It's boxed up now in my garage...holding on to it for my future grandkids.

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I would go with Calico Critters.  We started buying them when the oldest was 3 (set aside the tiny accessories) and are still buying them every year now that the girls are 8 and 10.  They have been heavily played with.

 

We also have a plan toys dollhouse which they liked for a bit as toddlers but never really loved I loved it though).

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My daughter got a life-size wooden dollhouse at that age and LOVED to play with it.  She's 11 years old now and will still go up and play with it occasionally.  She has a bunch of the miniature American Girl dolls that she uses to play in the house.  

 

This is something that she can use for so many years and get such enjoyment out of.

 

ETA:  You can get the dollhouses at Target.

http://www.target.com/p/kidkraft-annabelle-dollhouse/-/A-11990777#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=dollhouse

 

http://www.amazon.com/Isabelle-Mini-Doll-American-Girl/dp/1609584015/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416624487&sr=8-1&keywords=miniature+american+girl+dolls

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Everyone in our family, including the boys and me, has their own cc family and different sets of things to go with it.  The little girls, 9 and 7, play with theirs several times a week.  The boys get theirs out once a month or so.  I had mine out earlier this week playing neighbors with the little girls.  16dd has the most "stuff" to go with hers, including the car and camper.  We do not have the cc house, but have two wooden dollhouses we use with them.

 

This is one of the dollhouses we have.  The other one is similar.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/158774482/natural-wooden-dollhouse-toy-dollhouse?ref=shop_home_feat_3

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We had a chance to get to the big city today and made a quick stop at ToysRus to take one last look at the FP Loving Family dollhouse.

 

That particular ToysRus has discontinued carrying Loving Family.  There was one dollhouse left (regular price) and no accessories.  Upon inquiry, we were told that FPLF is being replaced with a new set, You & Me Happy Together.  These items are half the cost of FPLF.  There were no open boxes or displays so we weren't able to determine quality.  The online reviews (both of them) rate it a one star. 

 

I guess if I want FPLF, I will need to buy online.

 

 

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I bought dd calico critters and playmobile.  Dd uses the playmobile houses and furniture with her calico critters.  When dd was little I would give her the calico critters but collect the tiny pieces and store them in a Ziploc bag. When she became old enough for the tiny pieces a couple of years later I gave her the bag, it was like she received all new toys. 

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I bought this

 

 http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-CHM93-My-First-Dollhouse/dp/B00JC3MP2M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416799911&sr=8-1&keywords=fisher+price+dollhouse

 

For dd when she turned 2. She loved it then and still uses it almost daily (she's 6.) It's one of the best toys I ever bought and I felt guilty when I got it b/c I could not afford the LF one. I did buy the LF family though ;).

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We had a loving family dollhouse that we got as a hand-me-down. The kids liked it but didn't love it, especially the dolls. They often used other animals and toys in it. 

 

On the other hand they LOVE calico critters. DD, 9, has a few that she has gotten over the years and DS, 6, is in love with them too. Last Christmas I made our own calico critter advent calendar. I made a cardboard house and bought some calico critter family and furniture (some new on sale, some from ebay) and they got a piece or two everyday in December. Sometime in January I packed it all up and put it in the basement. I knew if we kept it out, it wouldn't sustain their interest with all the other toys we have. They are both begging for it to be December so they can play calico critters again! I have a few new sets and a few of the lil woodzeez (copy cat brand) things (the lil woodzeez bakery is AWESOME) from target. So this December we'll get out the pieces from last year and add some new ones. This summer I found a Plan Toys dollhouse at a thrift store and that is going to be the calico critter house this year.

 

I think if I were you, I would get a wooden dollhouse that could be used by any kind of doll/animal and then buy calico critters to go in it. The wooden houses are nicer and don't lock you into a particular toy to go in them.

The calico critter fan club (free to join, and I'm not even sure you have to join) has calico critter families buy 1, get one half off and free shipping right now. That is about as cheap as the families get ($17-$18 each).

http://www.calicocrittersclub.com/product-category/families/

 

 

Here is a review of calico critter vs lil woodzeez (target knowck-off)

http://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2012/04/calico-critters-vs-lil-woodzeez.html

Here is a review of the lil woodzeez bakery--we are adding this to our calico critters!

http://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2012/01/lil-woodzeez-honeysuckle-hollow-general.html

 

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My girls each had a Loving Family doll house and they played with them every single day for almost 10 years..  Hours and hours of play. They added animals, Barbie, Pooh, playmobil, etc.  Ours were bought in the late 90s so might be better quality than they have now.

 

I love the looks of the larger plain wooded ones that can be used so many different ways and with any type of furniture, dolls, etc. but they are more pricey and take up a lot of room.

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Another vote for Loving Family. My daughter has spent oodles of time playing with her sets. (My youngest son will sometimes play with her as well.) She has had them since she was 2, she's now 10. Over this time she has collected quite a few sets and people. I love the options, camping, horses, all ages of people - including grandparents!  I love the "family" aspect of the toys. Happy shopping :) 

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My DDs spent much more time playing with Calico Critters and continued playing with them at much older ages than they did with the FP Loving Family. However- the CC are not as little kid friendly (too small, hard for little fingers to dress) and I agree that they are over priced. If you can find sales it isn't too bad. 

 

Saw that Zulily has CC stuff on there at good prices, if anyone is looking!

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