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DOLLHOUSE DOLLS

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Knock, knock.  Who's there?

Good question!

 

When it comes to dollhouse figures, this is a big one.  After all, a dollhouse is only as fun as the people living there. 

 

While some dollhouses come with dolls, most are a bit less well-populated.  We spoke with Dr. Susan Scheftel, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medical Psychology at Columbia University and practicing child psychologist, to put together some guidelines on what makes for great dollhouse people, should you find yourself building a doll community from scratch (or adding a little company for the dolls you have).

 

Not-so-expert tip #1:  Pay attention to size.

 

How big is the dollhouse or play space you’re buying for? 

 

If you want to avoid a Gulliver’s Travels-style situation, you’re going to want to make sure the dolls are proportional to the dollhouse so they can live and play comfortably in their new digs. 

 

Not-so-expert tip # 2:  Go for movable, posable bodies.

 

“I can’t get the doll to sit in the chair.”

 

Sound familiar?

 

To avoid this and other body-posing catastrophes, opt for a doll with movable limbs.  We’re not saying all the dolls need to be yoga ready, but the ability to sit, stand, and hold doll-sized props is a plus.

 

Not-so-expert tip #3:  Avoid the “creepy” factor.

 

Let’s face it.  Some dolls are downright strange looking.  Now if that appeals, go for it.  But if your kid’s tastes run more friend-next-door Chelsea than horror doll Chucky, steer away from dolls that seem more frightening than fun.

 

Not-so-expert tip #4:  Consider diversifying your (doll) portfolio. 

 

Even if your kiddo's dollhouse comes with dolls, you may want to consider diversifying the offerings. 

 

Doll gender diversity is relatively easy to achieve.  Most sets come with boy and girl figures.

 

But the dollhouse doll world could definitely benefit from increased racial diversity.  There is some racial diversity amongst doll families, and we would love to see more.  

 

Think age ain’t nothing but a number?  Your little one might not agree, at least not when it comes to dolls.  To maximize your kiddo’s play, consider tracking down a doll set with figures from different generations.  It’s a lot easier to act out that sleepover at the grandparents’ house if you’ve got a doll or two that actually looks like it might be a grandparent.

 

Not-so-expert tip #5:  Keep it real. 

 

For our recs, we stuck with non-themed dolls.

 

Dr. Scheftel has a selection of fairy tale-themed dolls in her office, but none of the children play with them in the dollhouse.  “No one will touch those,” she said.  Turns out those figures are just “too far removed” from the goings on of typical life.

 

At the end of the day, any doll that engages your child is a great pick.  But we’d recommend starting with at least a couple people figures.  We love how much freedom a family-next-door set of dolls gives kids to create their own stories. 

 

Here’s some of our favorite doll sets: 

Favorite Family Sets

Hape Happy Family African American Dolls

Happy Family - African-American

Hape

MSRP:  $19.99

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

Buying options:

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Happy Family - Caucasian

Hape

MSRP:  $19.99

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

Buying options:

Hape Happy Family Asian-min.jpg

Happy Family - Asian

Hape

MSRP:  $19.99

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

Buying options:

KidKraft Doll Family African American-mi

Doll Family - African-American

KidKraft

MSRP:  $17.99

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

Buying options:

KidKraft Doll Family Caucasian-min.jpg

Doll Family - Caucasian

KidKraft

MSRP:  $17.99

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

Buying options:

Calico Critters Hopscotch Rabbit Family-

Hopscotch Rabbit Family

Calico Critters

 

MSRP:  $22.95

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

 

Buying options:

Calico Critters Tuxedo Cat Family-min.jp

Tuxedo Cat Family

Calico Crittters

MSRP:  $22.95

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

Buying options:

Calico Critters Pickleweeds Hedgehog Fam

Pickleweeds Hedgehog Family

Calico Critters

 

MSRP:  $22.95

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

 

Buying options:

Calico Critters Ellwoods Elephant Family

Ellswood Elephant Family

Calico Crittters

 

MSRP:  $22.95

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

Buying options:​

Calico Critters Outback Koala Family-min

Outback Koala Family

Calico Crittters

 

MSRP:  $22.95

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

Buying options:

Favorite Dolls Sold Individually

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Modern Family Dolls

Hape

 

MSRP:  Typical retail around $8

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

 

Buying options:

HABA Little Friends Doll-min.jpg

Little Friends Dolls

HABA

MSRP:  $8.49 - $10.99

Mfr. Recommended Age:  3 Years+

Buying options:

Fisher-Price Little People Josh & Mia-mi

Little People

Fisher-Price

 

MSRP:  Varied

Mfr. Recommended Age:  1 - 5 Years

Buying options:

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