Melissa and Doug Dollhouse - The Perfect Gift for Big Imaginations!
A Dollhouse that will Entertain for Hours (and it's educational, too!)
If your child enjoys imaginative play and you are looking for a toy that will keep them entertained for more than five minutes, then this doorbell dollhouse by Melissa and Doug is the perfect choice!
We first stumbled across this gem of a toy in a gorgeous little independent toy shop filled with the more traditional style of toy - lots of wooden puzzles, castles and dolls (most of which were by the brilliant Melissa and Doug). It was purchased for my 3-year-old daughter by her grandparents and no kidding, she played and played with it for hours when we got home, and for the duration of the fortnight's holiday we were spending at my parents' house!
As you can expect from this brand, the quality and detail is second to none. But it is more than a simple little wooden house. It comes with four magical golden keys, each unlocking one of the four differently coloured and numbered doors on each side of the house. Teaching children to match numbers and shapes (each key is different), the house then opens up the scope for lots of creative play. Each door has a doorbell with a different tune, and each door opens to reveal a poseable, clothed wooden doll - two are boys and two are girls.
There are two main things I love about this house - the nod to the traditional toy, with its quaint little picket fence and adorable little wooden figures inside, and the fact that there is so much more to it than meets the eye. Not just in terms of what it does, but also in terms of its painted walls - there are lots of wonderful details to spot, from letters in the mailbox to bluebirds and kitties.
While the unlocking of the brass locks with the keys might be difficult for younger toddlers to begin with, the aim is to help them master motor skills, and will teach them patience and that practice makes perfect!
As you will see below, my little girl is completely in love with it!
What's the best thing about Melissa and Doug toys?
There is lots for little hands to get to grips with on this house! Choose a home to visit. Ring the doorbell. Grab the keys and match the right number key to the right number on the door. Then match the shape of the key to the lock in order to turn and open it. Say hi to the person living inside!
This is great for helping little ones to match numbers and more complicated shapes. It took my daughter a little while to get the hang of actually matching up the key and lock shapes, and turning the keys herself, but she got there. She adores ringing the doorbells!
But the great thing about this house, and what gives it the ability to entertain for hours, is the scope for creative play. My little girl named the four little figures after herself, her two best friends and another friend from playgroup, and then took them on adventure after adventure. She would open up the doors and have them visit each other, going round to play. They'd all go outside and play in the garden or playground. She would find her tiny little teacups and cupcakes and have them hold a tea party. The dolls would have entire hour long conversations around this house. And at the end of play, she would tuck each one up into their own little house ready for bed. Sometimes there would be a sleepover!
All this, despite the fact that there are no rooms inside the house, just a small plain space to house each doll. This is what powers the imagination!
Gift this house to your child and I assure you, you won't regret it! I am so glad that we did.
Great Related Toys from Melissa and Doug...
