Best Doll House for Kids in UK
Dollhouses have an interesting origin. The concept of dollhouses is over a century old. They are primarily a set of educational and entertaining toys that mimics the setup of a multi-story house. Historically, it has been used in aristocratic households for making the children familiar with the walls and corners of their palace.
With advancing age and civilization where we don’t have to make kids aware of the huge spaces they live in, quite thankfully, the best dollhouses in the market today serve solely for recreation. Anciently we had Wooden dollhouses, but contemporarily, most of them are mass-produced out of plastic or mixed materials.
10 Best Dollhouses for Kids
1. Barbie 2020 Dreamhouse Playset
When we talk of ‘dolls’, we can’t possibly ignore Barbie. You might ask why? It has mostly invited a discussion that Barbie becomes the playmate who introduces a girl to the world of creative playing and storytelling.
The barbie GNH53 Dreamhouse Playset is designed with sophistication to engage your child’s creativity. It is 3 feet tall, almost realistic in its appearance, and features 8 rooms across 3 storeys. The dollhouse is equipped with a working elevator, room for a Barbie doll in a wheel-chair, a home office, a carport, and a second-story pool with a slide that starts from the third story.
There are lights and sounds to add more fun. A well-set kitchen with sizzling sounds for pans and pots allows a more realistic roleplay to power up the storyline made by your kid.
Besides the ticking sound from the kitchen’s oven and the flushing one from the washroom, the entire set becomes way more entertaining with the transformations that promote two-in-one fun while encouraging flexible action. For instance, the couch turns into bunk beds, the coffee table flips for a bed-sized for the guest, the fireplace becomes a home office, the refrigerator turns into an outdoor food stand, and the oven houses a barbecue in the back.
PROS —
- Huge realistic model
- 360-degree play for changing the house construction
- 70 pieces of accessory
- Sounds and Lights for added entertainment
- Rooms in multiple formats
CONS —
- Pricey
- Flimsy and not sturdy
Quick Verdict
Barbie Dreamhouse encourages kids’ imaginations to set up a dream home and engage in creative storytelling and roleplay. It is easy to assemble and entertain.
2. KidKraft 65093 Amelia Wooden Dolls House
The dollhouse is visibly taller than the Barbie dollhouse we discussed above, and the price is significantly lower. It features 4 rooms across the 3 storeys of the model, equipped with a gliding elevator, in a rather simplistic format.
It includes 15 furniture pieces and home accessories. There is no luxury setting up like pools or transforming furniture to tantalize your kid’s creativity; rather, it allows more natural interaction with the non-sophisticated yet artistic dollhouse. It extends the creative possibilities of role-playing and story-telling with 12-inch dolls. Impressively, the toy is made of high-quality wood, which is eco-friendly and safer to play with.
It demands only a small investment from your pocket to foster your child’s creativity and fluent imaginative recreation, so why not go for it?
The colorful setting is eye-catching and gives your child efficient training with memory and recollection. Since there are not many tiny accessories, your little kids can safely play with the dollhouse. The smaller number of accessories makes it easier for parents to keep a tab of the missing parts.
PROS —
- Cost-effective
- 15 accessories
- Made of wood and safe to play
- Tall and minimalistic design
CONS —
- Does not have the sophistication to open up multiple avenues of creative play
- A limited number of accessories (find a larger model in number 5)
Quick Verdict
It is not surprising that kids can engage in play with almost any toy you bring about. A dollhouse is comparatively more engaging and to get started with a minimal design is always the safest to learn if your kid genuinely enjoys it or not.
3. CUTEBEE Dollhouse Miniature with Furniture
One of the reasons parents look for a dollhouse is that their kid is transitioning to an age where playing with dolls is no longer fun. If you’re on the same boat, you might specifically look for teenage dollhouses.
Cutebee dollhouse is suitable for teenagers. It is well-equipped with furniture and other wooden pieces, precisely cut to fit together easily and accurately. The setting fosters DIY, grinding, bonding, assembly, and modelling skills to finish building the dollhouse. Additional handcraft tools, including paper scissors, a knife, precision tweezers, and a screwdriver, are required to put it together.
The toyhouse further includes the impressive setting of LED light, plants, ornament, and furniture designed with an approach to realism and accentuation. Indeed the whole setting is eye-catching and aesthetically brilliant.
Growing up, kids develop a visual perception to develop their creativity following the ongoing trends; therefore, giving them a visually appealing toy house will boost presentation skills. The box is wonderfully presentable.
PROS —
- Visually appealing and aesthetic
- Miniature craft box and dollhouse
- DIY set for creative set up and playing
- Improve developing and modelling skills
CONS —
- Needs extensive setup with tools like glues, screwdrivers, etc
- Many small pieces not suitable for small kids
Quick Verdict
Playing with DIY dollhouses in their teenage would help your children develop good communication skills and social behaviours. It is a small project to spend time on but helpful in giving an upskill experience.
4. Melissa & Doug Fold & Go Dollhouse
Isn’t it so easy to give your child access to a smartphone? Should it not keep them occupied an entire day while you get the relaxation to manage your tasks around the house without a bother? Yes, that does seem feasible, but in the long term, exposing children to screens and apps from a very tender age has severe repercussions on the kid’s creativity and motor skill development.
The Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Mini Dollhouse exhibits the idea of giving kids a wholesome experience. It is a portable dollhouse, featuring fully-working doors that can open and close. It includes 11 pieces of wooden furniture and two flexible wooden play figures to play the protagonists of your child’s storytelling.
The Dollhouse arrives fully assembled and saves your kid’s effort in putting it all together from scratch. Simply unfold it and get started with the playtime session. It makes storage easy and simple too. This two-story dollhouse is made of wood and allows kids to arrange the accessories and create an imaginative world with assured safety.
PROS —
- Simple and budget-friendly
- Added wooden figurines
- Portable, easy to open, and store
- No assembly required
CONS —
- Does not have the sophistication to open up multiple avenues of creative play
- A limited number of accessories
Quick Verdict
At a very budget-friendly price, the dollhouse develops your kid’s communication abilities, fine motor skills, and memory while engaging in storytelling and imaginative play.
5. KidKraft 65833 Uptown Wooden Dolls House
The KidKraft 65833 dollhouse is a spacious and colourful home with 3 floors, 5 rooms, and a backyard with a pool. It is as tall as 3.85 foot which gives it a more realistic appeal. It includes 36-piece dollhouse furniture & accessory pack.
Features include a rooftop staircase, a skylight, and a gliding elevator that spans all three floors. A lamp that lights up, a keyboard that plays music, and a toilet with a flushing sound included in the accessory pack. All you have to do is follow the step-by-step instructions provided in the manual, and there you have an incredible toyhouse!
It can easily hold 12-inch fashionable dolls in the room spaces. Since there is no unnecessary sophistication, kids can play with it without risking their safety or swallowing up the tiny pieces.
However, it is advisable to accompany your kid while they play with the set to ensure that they are careful enough.
PROS —
- Cost-effective and simple to assemble
- 36 pieces of accessory and furniture
- Extensive set with a myriad of features
- Tall and minimalistic design
CONS —
- Pricey
- People have found its stability a little disappointing
- Assembly is simple but takes time
Quick Verdict
Kids can amuse themselves with any sort of toy. However, not every toy engages the kid for a longer duration as kids also tend to get bored easily. The Uptown dollhouse by KidKraft is one of those settings that is made for entertaining your kid for long hours and keeping them occupied.
6. Teamson Kids Farmhouse Wooden Doll House with Horse Stable
The Teamson Kids Farmhouse Wooden Doll House has a 2-storey setting in a White and Grey exterior. Your kid can engage in a collective activity over the setup, which has been made more accessible from all sides due to the absence of walls. A horse stable is also attached next to the farmhouse.
The set comes as a beautifully pre-accentuated dollhouse. It features intricate decorations, patterns, and realistic textures. These beautiful details add a more realistic experience. It includes 14 accessories to diversify the game.
Further, the removable fence permits the extension of the stable. The porch is attached to the farmhouse to greet friends and guests. The dollhouse also has sound and light effects through accessories in the toilet and lamping set.
The Teamson Dollhouses are, therefore, one of the most healthful toys for kids to play and grow. This minimalistic dollhouse also has a wooden setup made and hand-painted by Teamson Design Corp., ensuring reliability and longevity. The toy-house is also eco-friendly. It precisely qualifies as a perfect gift and collectables for kids who enjoy crafts and miniatures.
PROS —
- It gives extensive flexibility with playing
- Promotes storytelling
- Fosters space management over the farmhouse
- Beautifully hand-designed
- Wooden and safe
CONS —
- Not vibrant or sophisticated
- Customers have faced issues with the plastic stairs
Quick Verdict
The set is easy to assemble, which effectively provides your child with a more cherishable play. No doubt, it shall also help you bond better with your child’s creativity. Minimalist yet beautifully decorated dollhouses also promote artistic development.
7. deAO Children’s 2-In-1 Pink Portable Doll House
Just a simple tweak in any model can make it a lot more interesting. The deAO Children’s 2-In-1 Pink Portable Dollhouse packs a beautiful home for a miniature doll inside a Case bag. It is made with safe and durable plastics that last longer and do not break easily.
The carry case makes the setup a lot more portable and easy to store. If you have issues organizing your kid’s playing spaces constantly, this case can maximize your capacity to organize the space and make the best out of your rooms.
The design is very contemporary and eye-catching. The vibrancy of the construct and the colors make the unit one of the most appreciated dollhouses to go for. The kit includes a custom doll, a plastic handbag carry case, 24 bedroom accessories, and 20 kitchen accessories. The variety makes it more engaging.
It is durable enough for you to let your kid carry it on schoolmates’ picnics and get-togethers. It is a great tool to promote creative and collective learning among friends. Battery-operated light and music functions are also included for making your child’s recreational play more exciting.
PROS —
- Durable and sturdy design
- Portable and compact
- It contains a custom doll in 2 story house
- Includes a variety of accessories
- Contemporary and engaging
CONS —
- Pricey according to the provisions
- It contains very tiny parts
Quick Verdict
The set is a great way to introduce your kid to storytelling authentically and engagingly. It is very handy and flexibly accommodates collective and individual creativity as well as imagination.
8. Le Toy Van H104 Sophie’s House
The colorful and vibrant playset by Le Toy Van is a large dollhouse that fosters imagination and creative storytelling. It is a classic dollhouse for kids in fresh white & rose pink color-tones. It’s fully painted with non-toxic paints and tested to the highest safety standards.
The house is furnished with a glittery scalloped roof, a front porch, opening and closing shutters and windows, and a floral motif. The large 3 storey doll’s house also has unique removable chimney stacks and iconic, distinctive flowers on the window boxes. Therefore, you get your kid a visually pleasant and safe setting to play with a dollhouse from Le Toy Van.
The wooden dollhouse playset is durably designed to foster your child’s curiosity to learn, communicate, express, and interact socially.
Overall, it means long hours of engagement and enjoyment. Assuringly, this beautiful wooden playhouse has been awarded various honours of being the Best Doll House & Winner of the Right Start Toy Award, the Top 100 Baby Products, and the Toy Talk Award.
PROS —
- Colorful, vibrant, and educational
- Made of wood and heavily decorated
- Safe to play with, proven non-toxic
- Recognized as the best Dollhouse by various associations
- Interactive, sturdy, and aesthetic
CONS —
- No accessories; need to add your own
- It does not have high-end features
Quick Verdict
It is one of the highly-rated sets on Amazon because of its impeccable customer service and the record of providing defect-free products to the customers. Indeed, Sophie’s large wooden playhouse enables your child to set up their dream home!
9. Milliard Wooden Doll House
The Milliard Doll-house has six finely detailed and furnished rooms. The decor is realistic, quite homely, and vibrant, which easily captures the young imagination tendencies. It is 2.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. The whole dollhouse is made of genuinely high-quality and durable wood. It is safe to touch and play with. The Three levels and bonus balcony adds to the flexibility it provides young kids to accommodate their creative spaces.
The set comes with 20 pieces of intricately crafted furniture. The wooden construct also makes it more durable and sturdy. It has been tested for safety at an independent laboratory, which is a huge bonus as most brands don’t get you safety with such transparency. Sadly, there are no dolls or figurines in it; therefore, it may take you a little more bother to get small toys that would fit the space.
While we mention- small toys- we mean it! It can conveniently accommodate 4-6 inch dolls only. Also, make sure to be around as kids play with it.
PROS —
- Small and compact design
- Includes a variety of furniture
- Great customer service
- Safety tested from an independent lab
CONS —
- It does not include toys
- Requires parents supervision while kids play with the small parts
Quick Verdict
Assembling the house is quick and convenient. Overall, this dollhouse is simple yet artistically superb. Varieties of colors, details, and fabrics make up the incredibly realistic space that kids truly enjoy role-playing with.
10. LOL Surprise OMG House – Real Wooden Doll House
The LOL Surprise OMG Wooden Dollhouse is one of the highly-rated products on Amazon. It combines beautiful craftsmanship with bright and interestingly capturing aesthetics that young minds get naturally drawn to. The house’s architecture is 91cm tall and 91cm wide with 3 storeys and 6 rooms, including a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, patio, and fashion closet. It has functional lights and sounds across all 3 floors, including working lamps and toilet flush sound effects. The build and design render it realistic, classy, and fun.
Each room is uniquely designed and decorated to encourage a greater level of imaginative play. Transforming new furniture adds more surprises, like the new pianos that transform into bunk beds. The wood used in construction is of high quality and lightweight.
It is full of colors and patterns, which makes it qualify for a gender-neutral section of play-setting. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a dollhouse for boys or girls; this good quality dollhouse would impress your kid successfully. The set arrives fully furnished with a working elevator, spiral staircase, day-to-night patio, pool, hot tub, and more!
PROS —
- Contains 85+ accessories
- High-end design with working lights and sounds
- Loaded with features and unisex design
- Lightweight and sturdy wooden build
CONS —
- Pricey
- It does not include the dolls
- Customers have reported that the rooms are too short for some of the OMG dolls
Quick Verdict
The set takes a little time to put together but is assuringly safe and truly engaging. The perks of developing creativity and communication with the set are truly worth the spend!
How to Choose the Best Dollhouse in UK
1. Suitable Age
The labels on the toy set explicitly mention the recommended age range to play with it. One of the greatest reasons to stick to it is – safety! Moreover, you can also rely on your observation of a kid’s interest and playing habits to decide when to go for a dollhouse and let them retire.
2. Safety Standards
All toys marketed in the UK require to bear the CE mark from the manufacturer. The label proves that the toy has been tested to be safe and conforms to the EN71 British Toy Safety Standard. It makes sure that the toys do not stab, trap, mangle or choke. They are fire-proof and free of lead, cadmium, mercury, toxic solvents, and preservatives.
3. Size
The accessories could be too tiny for kids to swallow. Therefore, the parent’s supervision is necessary while kids play with small-sized objects. Larger Doll-houses are generally more realistic, while the smaller ones are easy to store and carry. Depending on your preference, check out for the right fit!
4. Material
Dolls’ houses should only be made with quality-proven materials. The build should not shatter or snap or break easily, which may generate safety risks. Be a little extra cautious with wooden dollhouses with a fragile body since they can break and splinter causing stab threats. Plastic dollhouses are equally risky.
5. Assembling
Needless to say, most dollhouses need assembling by an adult. If the dollhouse is complicated, you may end up loosely fitting the set and leaving holes for safety threats.
6. Accessories
Since dolls resemble a human-like friend, they become the protagonist of the stories that the kids create in their view of the world around them. Even as a commercial play-set, dollhouses have kept emerging through formats and figures to adapt to kids’ varying needs, and no doubt, it is one of the most popular fashion toys in the world today. The more the accessories, the more complete it tends to be.
Conclusion
In a world regulated by high-end technology, parents tend to put a phone or tablet by a kid to keep them engaged. This puts the art of playing on a decline since their imagination and motor skills aren’t getting trained or tested, which may show undesired consequences later in life. Therefore, the benefits and charm of classic toys and games can’t be replaced any day!
Laura is a trained primary teacher who takes a profound liking in interacting with and bringing out the best in children. She is also an ISSA certified pediatrician with an extensive practice of over 12 years. Laura comprehends the needs of infants and now compresses her expertise into writing thorough parenting guides to aid new parents.
