I have one girl and one boy and would like to get them a nice dollhouse they can share and play with together. I'd also like one that is made out of wood and either modern-style or something simple, nothing too fancy or intricate. I saw one at an FAO Schwarz (Brinca Dada) that looked great, but it was really expensive and didn't have the best reviews. Any ideas?
Thanks for all the tips! I really liked the simplicity of the Plan Toys Dollhouses, and on the Maxim Dollhouse how you can move all the modules around - there are so many options I didn't see before. I found this one on another blog today and think I will go with it. www.urbangirldollhouse.com Looks really modern (glossy white paint and solid walnut) and it comes pre-assembled which is great for us! It looks like it is even hand made in the USA with green materials and finishes which is cool. It costs less than the Brinca Dada one I really liked too, especially once you factor in the furniture. Still, it isn't cheap, but it looks pretty sturdy which is good because my kids are pretty good at breaking things. Thanks again for all the tips!
I saw a couple that might work at Costco a couple of days ago, but I don't remember much about them. I was impressed that they had one that was specifically aimed at boys though, with cars. Maybe stop by and see what they have.
The Playmobil stuff isn't wood but it's high quality plastic and gender neutral!
Plan Toys and Lundby both have wooden, modern dollhouses.
Playmobil. Hands down playmobil. It will be something that both can enjoy for a LONG time, my 8th grade daughter still had 8th grade friends playing with her playmobil stuff this past summer.
They offer so many options that you can make it good for both kids easily. When you find a set you like go online and google the set number (they have 4 digit numbers to identify the items) and find the cheapest price that way. Some stores will have you paying almost double what you can find online.
We have this one, and my son and daughter both enjoy it. Not really modern, but they can be architects with it --that's what they enjoy the most:
http://www.amazon.com/Maxim-Designed-You-Dollhouse-Furnit...
Love the Brinca Dada but I would never spend that kind of money on a dollhouse.
Plan Toys has quality doll houses that a boy would enjoy, too, because they aren't pink and purple. But they're not cheap, and the furniture and people are sold separately, so you'll have to consider it an investment. Check them out on Amazon. (Then you could look on eBay or Craigslist to see if you can find a deal.) I found a Plan doll house and a bag of assorted accessories at a yard sale years ago, and brought it home for my grandchildren to play with when they visit. They've really enjoyed it, but when it first came to "Where does this red door go, Gran? We can't find where it fits," we discovered that what we had was just part of the house - at least one floor was missing. So the complete thing must be huge - one a number of kids can play with at the same time. I always hope I might find that other house part at the next yard sale!
We just got my 3-y.o. girl the Hape All Season Dollhouse (see http://www.hapetoys.com/p/hape-toys/happy-family/all-seas.... The furnished one we got at a locally-owned toy store in Evanston for $200. It comes with furnishings for 4 rooms, and you can add on add'l rooms for around $20 each. It's simple, somewhat modern, has fun moveable parts, and the company has admirable social and environmental standards. Best of all, our girl loves it, and so does our 8-y.o. boy! Very pleased with our purchase so far, and looking forward to adding on some rooms and other accessories as upcoming holiday gifts.
I don't know about a wooden dollhouse, but the Duplo blocks house is great. My son has one and loves it. He got it when he was 2 and still plays with it. He has the Duplo zoo and supermarket as well. It has been one of his favorite toys. He is now 5. He makes all sorts of houses. We got some extra building plates as well. It is a great toy and gender neutral. The kids can be little architects as well as do the role playing.
