Doll House Suggestions - Saint Paul,MN

Look at the KidKraft (KidCraft?) dollhouse! I don't have girls, but a close friend does, and her daughter LOVES hers. I was blown away when I saw it! It's really big and easy for smaller children to play with. Both of my boys love to play with it when we're over there. Her little girl got it at age 3 and is almost 5. I'll admit -I'm almost jealous of it! It's so cool -I would have loved it as a girl. Their products are also wood and long-lasting (think Melissa and Doug but not usually as pricey for what you get). We have a few other types of KidKraft toys, and they hold up really well.

We have a big Kidcraft Annabelle house. We got it on ____@____.com for 100 bucks. My daughters LOVE it. It has 3 stories, elevator, stairs and comes with a lot of furniture. Big enough for barbies - stands about 4 feet tall. Plus it is not plastic like the Barbie dreamhouse which was more $ and seemed cheap to me. The annabelle goes on sale fairly often @ Walmart.

I know you're set on buying a dollhouse but you may want to wait. I was going to buy my 3 year old a doll house for christmas because I remember how much I loved mine as a kid. I used to spend hours playing and loved that dollhouse for many, many years.
I decided to wait to buy my daughter her dollhouse until she was older. I was seven when I got mine and appreciated it more. I told one of my relatives about my decision and she agreed that my daughter was too young. She had purchased a dollhouse for her daughter at the same age and she rarely plays with it. She's just now getting interested in it at the age of 8.

Three year olds have a very limited attention span, and get bored with toys quickly. Until she gets older, I suggest using something as simple as a shoe box. She'll probably have just as much fun and you can save for a more elaborate dollhouse.

My step father makes doll houses. He made one for each of my daughters. They gave them one when they were about 3 & 5. It is a big beautiful Victorian type. They were just too little and the windows were broken because they did not know how to gently open and close them. The railings were damaged because they just could not reach properly and would lean on them. He made furniture that was stepped on. It is now restored and played with correctly. They are now 8 & 10! I also asked they keep the other one at their home for when the girls visit. I know the thought was there because they knew I LOVED my doll house as a little girl, but I would have preferred a small plastic type one until they were older. I think you should check out toys r us. I have seen some really fun looking ones.

Good luck!

My mom found a dollhouse at Costco (I think) and my girls got it for Christmas a few years ago. It's like 4 feet tall!! 3 stories!! It's so awesome. they never played with Barbies before they got that house. It's wooden, not plastic... really neat, came with furniture and stuff. One of the pieces was a little banged up and the company that makes it gives you free replacement pieces FOR LIFE, you don't pay shipping and handling or anything!! My girlies love it, I'm keeping this for future grandbabies ;)

go fisher price loving doll house..my girls loved it. I bought at a garage sale and then bought new add ons like a pool and more people to share. i have alos bought the little tyke doll house (used too) and now as they are older (5&8) use it for barbies, pet shops, polly pockets etc. try craigslist, i am sure you will find a deal!!

forget the idea of the shoe box..your daughter will love it and grow into it and be creative.

I got my daughters a doll house from pottery barn kids for christmas. They are expensive but it was for both of them and from both sets of grandparents aswell , so this is how I justified the cost. We have the big one which is $200 but got it during a 40% off sale. They do have a smaller one which I think is under $100. They are solid wood so will last well and they look nice , the furniture sets are expensive , $40 or $50 each but we bought some people and furniture from Toys R Us (Fisher Price) for a lot less and does the job.

I agree w/ Nikki M.. We bought our daughter her dollhouse for her 3rd bday and she did play w/ it...but not often. We spent a ton of money on it. I wish we had waited because it would have been more special.
That said, she is now 5.5 and she plays w/ it ALL THE TIME!
We have the Calico Critters Manor house. She loves all her animal families.

At Wal-Mart they are now selling a cheaper knock off version of CC's. They are really cute. I think the house is about $20-$30. A perfect little starter house, IMO. :)

Haven't read the other responses, and I hate to seem like a bummer, but I would suggest waiting. We got our daughter a doll house when she was three...I believe it's a Ryan's Room house, very big, with a lot of that brand of furniture and all of the furniture from the dollhouse I had as a child (way more detailed and intricate, in my opinion)...and I wish we would've waited. She never played with it at that age...too young, I guess, even though she's got a wild imagination...and now that she's six, it isn't really special because she's had it for so long. I know that if we had gotten it for her now, and it was new, she'd really love it.

If you do go ahead with it, I would look at something with undecorated room, easy access, etc...and buy the furniture and accessories at craft stores like Hobby Lobby or Micheals. They have gorgeous dollhouse furniture and accessories, and when I was a little girl I LOVED adding to it piece by piece on special occasions or when I had a little money saved. I remember my favorite purchase ever for my dollhouse was this little chandelier that looked like Tiffany! :) I got mine when I was six, and I loved it.