The best dollhouses are durable, attractive and safe, but more importantly, they expand children’s imaginations during playtime. “Dollhouses are a must in the playroom,” says Carol Kim, licensed family and play therapist. “They help children explore fantasies, process their emotions and make sense of their situation…a dollhouse gives them a medium to tell their story.” These diminutive dwellings are big on fun, too. Our top pick, the Hape All Seasons Dollhouse, is effortlessly engaging, highly interactive and features an open layout that’s ideal for dollhouse play.
The best dollhouses expand children’s imaginations during play sessions, but are also durable, … [+] attractive and safe.
Illustration: Forbes / Photos: Retailers
Dollhouse play also affords children the rare opportunity to be in command of an environment that’s capable of teaching them invaluable lessons. “Imaginative play is crucial for a child’s development,” Kim continues. “It helps with creativity and allows children to practice looking at things from other people’s perspectives. This type of play helps develop empathy, problem solving, emotional regulation, and increases language and social skills.”
We chose the best dollhouses with all of these attributes named above in mind, focusing on clever design, ease of use and the opportunity for creative expression.
Hape
Hape All Seasons Dollhouse
Dimensions: 23.6 x 11.8 x 28.9 inches | Material: Solid wood | Recommended age: 3+ | Accessories included: Yes
Pros:
Open layout for flexible playSpacious enough for siblings and friends to join inGender-neutral designRealistic wooden furniture included
Cons:
Some Amazon reviewers complain of a wobbly balcony
This vibrant villa has plenty of room for multiple kids to engage in parallel and cooperative play. The three stories include six rooms complete with furniture, and kids can navigate their dolls through the bedroom, bathroom, family room, kitchen, living room and attic with ease. Carol Kim says the All Seasons Dollhouse would be her top choice for her office if she had the space for it. She says one of its best attributes is that “it’s bigger and the layout is more open.”
The All Season House has moving parts like its roof, which switches from winter to spring with a simple flip. The wooden furniture is realistic and well-crafted with thoughtful touches like oven and fridge doors that open and close, and a bathroom set complete with a rubber ducky. You can also purchase it unfurnished and it’s easy to upgrade with additional Hape dolls, furniture and accessories later.
More reasons this dollhouse tops our list: It’s crafted from sustainable, solid wood and finished with child-safe paint. It works great with everything from Maileg mice and Calico Critters to Gabby’s Dollhouse characters and Playmobil people.
Amazon
Melissa & Doug Fold And Go Wooden Dollhouse
Dimensions: 12.5 x 7.5 x 10 inches | Material: Wood | Recommended age: 3+ | Accessories included: Yes
Pros:
Handles and foldable design for easy transportFully furnished with two flexible play figuresWorking doors and realistic details
Cons:
Doesn’t latch closed
This popular, two-story Melissa & Doug mini wooden dollhouse is great for on the go, whether you’re dropping kids off at grandma’s or packing up for a weekend away. It’s the perfect weight and size for a toddler to tote around and is equipped with two convenient handles. It comes fully furnished too—there are 11 wooden furniture pieces included, from a tiny toilet and tub to a kitchen table and chairs, as well as two flexible wooden people to play house. Realistic details add to the overall appeal, like working doors (inside and out), sweet heart shutters and a sleek wooden staircase.
IKEA
Ikea Flisat Dollhouse Wall Shelf
Dimensions: 22.75 x 8.75 x 23.25 inches | Material: Solid wood | Recommended age: 3+ | Accessories included: No
Pros:
Can be used on the floor or mounted as a wall shelf to save spaceEasy to personalize with paint, wallpaper or sticker decalsDoubles as a book shelf when kids get older
Cons:
No accessories included
At only $40, there’s a lot to love about this simple and wallet-friendly wooden Ikea shelf/dollhouse, from the sleek, space-saving design (simply mount it on the wall in your child’s room) to the fact that you can completely customize it to suit your kiddo’s own unique design style and interests. While it doesn’t come with any accessories, colorful living room and bedroom sets are available to purchase separately. Etsy also has some of the cutest wallpaper sets and sticker decals to convert it into a charming cottage, police station, fire station and more. Once they grow out of it, use it as a wall shelf to display pictures, books and knick knacks.
What the parents say: One mom we spoke with said her daughter loved the Ikea dollhouse “because I let her paint and wallpaper it herself. It was a bit of a mess after, but it was her unique style and for the price I was okay with that.”
Dimensions: 31 x 14.5 x 23.5 inches | Material: Solid hard wood, engineered wood and MDF | Recommended age: 3+ | Accessories included: No
Pros:
Large, beautifully built dollhouse with 12 roomsHinges that shut when not in useStorage drawer for accessoriesOpen layout for easy play
Cons:
Dolls and furniture not includedExpensive
The Barrington Dollhouse has a show-stopping design that adds flair to any space. If you’re selecting a sizable dollhouse for a dedicated area, this might be a good pick.
The neutral white and gray tones of this solid, hardwood dollhouse complements any décor scheme. The back of the house opens to two floors of 12 rooms where natural light shines through 15 windows. Elevated features include a balcony, staircase entrance and a front door that opens. Note that the doll sets and dollhouse furniture are sold separately, but this impressive dollhouse makes a great birthday or holiday gift that you can add to over time.
We’re fans of Pottery Barn toys in general, which in our experience have stood the test of time and held up over the years through frequent play by multiple kiddos. “They’re gorgeous toys you’ll be delighted to have on display in your home and your kids will love just as much,” says co-author Elizabeth Kadar.
MOST POPULAR
Maisonette
Tender Leaf Toys Dovetail House
Dimensions: 26.8 x 15.6 x 27.4 inches | Material: Wood | Recommended age: 3+ | Accessories included: No
Pros:
Spacious, three-story houseHinged front panels and a removable roof panelStylish, gender-neutral design Customizable interior to encourage creative storytelling
Cons:
Expensive and doesn’t include accessoriesAssembly is time consuming
This stunning and super spacious three-story dollhouse doesn’t come with a white picket fence, but it might as well. It resembles a real house (you’d want to live in), is surprisingly easy to put together and not nearly as delicate as it looks. The attention to detail is also next level, with the prettiest printed plywood floors, front porch complete with potted plants and a removable roof panel to expand the pretend play opportunities. The hinged front panels open up to reveal the inside of the home, which is bare aside from a central staircase, so kids can decorate as they like. You need to purchase accessories separately, but the little furniture sets and dolls themselves are just as charming, detailed and meticulously-made as the dollhouse.
What the parents say: “I love the quality of Tender Leaf Toys in general, so when we were looking for a dollhouse I was happy to see they had one,” says SoCal mom Kacie Neal. Aside from the quality and attention to detail, she loves that you can mix and match the dolls. “My husband is white so we could purchase the white dad, and the mom is brown and the little girl is brown,” she says. Although the skin shades and hair colors aren’t an exact match, “it gets the job done.” She says her 4-year-old daughter loves that “you can choose which set to put in which room and move things around.”
Dimensions: 27.6 x 61.8 x 45 inches | Material: Plastic | Recommended age: 3+ | Accessories included: Yes
Pros:
Real sound effects and lightingWorking elevator can accommodate a Barbie doll in a wheelchairA three-story spiral water slide and pool that can be filled with real water
Cons:
Some accessories are tiny and easy to misplace
With the release of the hit Barbie movie last year, this decked-out, three-story Dreamhouse has been completely updated for today’s fans. Barbie and her friends can move throughout 10 different indoor and outdoor play areas, and kids can use the 75 included pieces to customize playtime. Realistic sound effects and lighting options in the kitchen and bathroom make the home come to life, and multiple configurations of the furniture, accessories and design aspects inspire kids to dream up unique interactions every time they play.
Host a spectacular pool party with Barbie’s biggest slide ever, or make it a movie night with space to sleep four dolls with the living room’s transforming furniture. There’s even a wheelchair-accessible working elevator, an epic closet for outfit changes and plenty of fun for pets too, including a pet slide and doggie door.
What our writers say: “My 5-year-old daughter received this Dreamhouse for Christmas, and it gets played with almost daily, making it well worth the investment,” says co-author Beth Shea.
Amazon
Little Tikes Stack ‘N Style Dollhouse
Dimensions: 32.5 x 18.1 x 9.5 inches | Material: Wood | Recommended age: 3+ | Accessories included: Yes
Pros:
Modular design allows kids to remodelA working lamp and a flushing toilet add an element of realistic funComes with accessories to furnish the houseSturdy and durable
Cons:
Some find the assembly difficult
Your child’s favorite 12-inch dolls (roughly the height of a Barbie) feel right at home in this customizable dollhouse that features one, two or three levels of play. As the name suggests, kids can stack and style the multi-level wooden structure in unique and various ways using a modular connection system. This ups the ante on playtime, as kids can build, design, reconfigure and remodel the 360-degree home every time they play. The dollhouse comes with 14 accessories to furnish and decorate the six rooms. As a bonus, it includes the iconic Little Tikes Cozy Coupe to add to the dollhouse playroom.
What the parents say: This is a sturdier alternative to the Barbie Dreamhouse. “I love how modern and well made this is,” writes one parent. “The price is on par with some of the Barbie dollhouses that I saw online, but this one is way cuter, has more configurations, and is very well made. I love how you can customize the configuration so that it fits the space as well.”
Target
Fisher-Price Little People Play House
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