Child Doll Houses: How to choose the right house for your child

posted on 3 November 2008 | posted in Articles | (0) Comments

Choosing suitable child doll houses is very important to every parent. You want to know that your child will be safe and that the toy won't break or harm your child in any way and also that it is suitable for their age group and that they are going to be able to have hours of fun with it.
With many toys it is easy to distinguish whether the item is suitable for a child but with dolls houses it can sometimes be difficult. There are so many options available and with some houses made specifically for adults it is difficult to know which are child doll houses.
This page will guide you though choosing child doll houses and ensure that your child gets a gift they can have hours of fun with and will last a lifetime.
When choosing child doll houses there are a few points to watch out for:
The Material the doll house is made from
How it is constructed
The Price
Structure
Material
This is probably one the most important areas to look at when choosing child doll houses. The material the house is made from can determine how safe it will be for your child to play with and also how long it will last. There are two main woods that doll houses are made from Plywood and MDF. Plywood is the cheaper of the two so if you are on a budget you will probably find a plywood house less expensive but MDF houses are by far much safer and more suitable for children.
Plywood is a thinner wood and can splinter where MDF is very strong and is man made from saw dust so there is no way it will splinter. If you have a plywood dolls house you will often find the edges rough, the wood is also not as strong so will not stand up to as much play as an MDF house. A plywood house may be cheaper but it will not last as long with a child playing with it.
"MDF will not splinter, is very strong so should not break and it makes extremely robust dolls houses. This is by far the most suitable wood for a child's dolls house"

Construction

The next thing you need to look at is the construction of the dolls house. Is it put together with just glue or does it have screws as well? Now there are advantages and disadvantages to both of these.
Just Glue: If the dolls house is put together with just glue this will give the house a nice finish as you won't be able to see any unsightly screws but it will not be as strong as a house held together with screws.
Screws & Glue: If a house is put together with screws and glue or just screws you have the advantage of added stability and the house will probably stand up to more play but you will also be able to see lots of unsightly screw heads. Having a house with screws all down the sides can really spoil the finished look and also if they are not fitted properly your child could catch themselves on these.
What you really need to be looking out for is a house that is put together with glue, dowel and some screws for added stability. The glue and dowel will hold the house together firmly and screws at some discrete points will add stability but won't spoil the finished effect.

Price

As with all items you get what you pay for. Watch out for doll houses that look like a bargain, they are usually very low quality and you may end up with a house that doesn't fit together properly and breaks easily.

Structure

Look at the structure of the house. With child doll houses you want something that doesn't have any small add on parts that could break off. You need to check that doors and windows look secure and that they have strong hinges, thick wooden or plastic doors are the best for child doll houses.
Finally check if there are any add-on basements, attics or side wings available for the house. If this is a house that you want your child to grow up with you may want to extend it at some point to give them some extra rooms to play with.

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Child Doll Houses: How to choose the right house for your child

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