My daughter will be 4 in a few months. She's had a small "Baby's First Dollhouse" since she was about 1 and loves it, but she is outgrowing it. I would love to get her a bigger dollhouse for her birthday and I know she'd love it....but then I was shopping and I saw the Calico Critters houses (the ones with animals) and they looked really cute. I can really see her loving it but then I was wondering how long she would like it for. And then I thought do I want to buy this and then turn around and buy her a bigger "people" dollhouse in a year or two? . Just wondering - have your kids had a Calico Critters house and how may years did they like it? Did they seem to outgrow it when they were 4 or 5 or did it last awhile? I know every kid is different and all - just curious what the consensus is... if 4 years old may be too old for the Calico Critters? thanks for your thoughts!
great!! thanks much ladies! i think i will plan on getting it for her...but I may hold off a little bit until my 15 month old son is a little older so he doesn't choke on the little pieces. thanks, as always, for the info!
Yes it will last a while. My girls loved them , but cautiously.....the parts with them are very very tiny and can get lost or choking hazzards.
We know kids that played with them til 8 yrs or 9. They will however want the bigger house with barbies or something ..... that is just how kids are. LOL
Definitely NOT too old!! In fact, if anything, I'd say a little young. My girls are 8 and 10. My 8 year got her first Calico Critters when she was about 4, and she is still loving them! We were just browsing Toys R Us the other day and she was drooling over some sets she doesn't have. My 10 year old will still play with them too, but mostly if her little sister begs her to! But yeah, my girls love them. You should see my basement. It's like a Calico Critter village down there!! But some of the pieces ARE very tiny. Personally, I wouldn't worry about choking with a 4 year old. But you may lose a few pieces here and there. They are really cute though. My daughter got the car and camper for her 8th birthday last Fall - it's seriously adorable.
Calico Critters are great! The families are cute and the furniture sets come with all kinds of accessories (some of which are tiny and need to be put away till they are a bit older). I got some for my son when he turned 4, but we didn't actually buy a house, just the family, a living room set, and a kitchen. He likes playing with them and making up little stories.
When I was growing up, I had a dollhouse with real people. I also had a lot of Maple Town figures and accessories, which is basically the same as Calico Critters. I did not have a house for my Maple Town toys.
I think it's fun, but it can get expensive. Look for deals, TRU sometimes has a buy one, get one half off sale. I think she'll play with it for at least a few years before outgrowing it.
I highly recommend the Calico Critters! My almost 7-year old and newly turned 5-year old love them. My youngest was playing with them when she was 4. They like setting up the rooms and having the different animal options, the baby animals, etc. The only thing I don't like is the TINY accessories. I suggest getting a little container with a lid where they can keep things like the miniature plates, glasses, books, pillows, all the stuff that comes with the room accessories. I have kicked the house accidentally before and sent little pieces flying!
Yup. My five year old girls drool over Calico Critters and their slightly older friends all love them too.
We have some sort of Calico Critters (or similar thing...) grocery store that I bought for $20 at Target ($60 on Amazon...?!?). It's an old-fashioned type general store, and it came with honestly about 75 tiny little pieces...jars of candy, lollipops, bottles, real little brown cloth sacks, loaves of bread, and on and on and on. We have one set of animals for it...a family of owls.
My seven year old is the one that wanted it...but you know what? She doesn't play with it. However, my two year old thinks it's great...but then I imagine that's because she loves to dump all the pieces on the ground. She does, however, manage to grasp a tiny broom in one hand and a tiny dustpan in the other and say "Mommy, I keening!" which is adorable. :)
Long story short, I think the best age is somewhere between 2 and 7...so that might be the perfect age for it.
My oldest never really dug her dollhouse, either...and she has a super nice one with all kinds of realistic mahogany looking furniture and accessories (I mean, the thing even has a baby grand piano and a stainless steel toaster that pops up little tiny pieces of toast that you can put on tiny little plates! And on and on and on...a wooden drop side crib, a brass coat rack, and everything else you'd think a little girl would want.) I think it's just her, because I would LOVE TO PLAY with that dollhouse...and I always played with mine when I was 4-8.
Calico Critter houses are extremely expensive (I think?), and then there's all the accessories, etc...but a dollhouse can be very expensive with all the furniture, too. I think a better idea would be to pick one or the other...you know her, what do you think she would like more? I think either is appropriate for her age.
Sorry for rambling, that must just be my mood tonight. :)
