Boley Portable American Dollhouse Toy Playset, 21-Piece
Last updated date: May 12, 2020
DWYM Score
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We looked at the top Dollhouses and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Dollhouse you should buy.
Overall Take
In our analysis of 33 expert reviews, the Boley Boley Portable American Dollhouse Toy Playset placed 11th when we looked at the top 12 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.
Editor's Note May 18, 2020:
Checkout The Best Dollhouse for a detailed review of all the top dollhouses.
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From The Manufacturer
What's inside: the Boley miniature dollhouse for young girls and children includes a portable doll house with Wallpaper decoration, complete with furniture, cute family and pet figurines, ringing doorbell, play mat, and more! when playtime is over, all your little one has to do is place each of the pieces inside the dollhouse, and fold the dollhouse closed! storage and clean-up has never been easier, making sure your real houses stay neat, organized, and tidy! this dollhouse contains 21 pieces.Fun features: this unique Playset toy for children include an open/close front door, a peek-a-boo window, an open/close shelf drawer, ringing and light-up doorbell, and furniture miniatures including bed, bench, couch, dining table and chairs, computer and desk, lamp, TV and TV shelf, a family with pets, and cute Wallpaper decoration. It's the perfect dollhouse for fun, educational, and developmental creative pretend play so your young ones can develop their own management and hospitality skills! Child friendly & always safe: as a global toy company, Boley #1 priority is child safety. All of our toys are always 100% nontoxic, adhere to strict us and ASTM standards for child safety, and are rigorously tested and Certified by independent third party labs for quality control and assurance. Boley supports and complies with the strictest of manufacturing standards established by ASTM, scan, bsci, smeta, sedex, city care, and more. Please note this particular toy is designed for children ages 3 and up.
Overall Product Rankings
An Overview On Dollhouses
A dollhouse provides endless hours of fun for children who are into small world play. Built for dolls, though not limited to other small figurines like superheroes, dollhouses offer an imaginative world with life-like surroundings. Many dollhouses have everything you’d find in a real home, like a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living room. Others come with other unique elements like a garden, spiral staircase or wrap-around porch.
However, playing with a dollhouse isn’t limited to the actual structure. With some butcher paper and creativity, kids can create all sorts of surroundings for their little world. Drawing streets, driveways, schools and other elements provides kids with additional features to add to their scene. They can also use paper and markers to draw artwork or wallpaper for inside the home.
One of the biggest considerations to look into when buying a dollhouse is how your kids will play with it. This will give you an idea of the style of house to buy, as well as the material it’s made out of and the durability you need.
Victorian-style houses are one of the most popular types, but you’ll also find others that look like log cabins or ones with old fashioned gingerbread trim. Think about what your kids are interested in and how they will be incorporating the dollhouse into their play.
Many classic dollhouses are made out of wood, while others are made out of plastic. Consider how long your children will play with the dollhouse, and how careful they will be with the toy. If you’re looking for a dollhouse your family can have for generations, then consider one made out of high-quality wood. If you’re looking for one to last just for a few years while your kids are little, then a dollhouse made of plastic or lightweight wood will do the trick.
You’ll also want to think about where the dollhouse will be placed in your home. Because they are such large structures, it’s good to figure out where you will put it before you decide to buy one. That way, you can measure the space and ensure that the dollhouse fits the dimensions. If you think your kids will want to move the dollhouse around from room to room, then you’ll need to further consider the weight and size of the toy.
DWYM Fun Fact
While the dollhouses of today are primarily made for the amusement of children, that wasn’t the case when they were first created. Back in the 17th century when dollhouses first appeared in northern Europe, they were actually made for adults. It may seem like a strange item for an adult to have, especially because they weren’t designed to be played with at all. At the time, a dollhouse was a way to showcase one’s wealth and social status. In some cases, the front opened up like a cabinet, and as a result, the dollhouses were actually called cabinet houses. The idea was to use the dollhouse as a display case, showing off one’s collection of miniature furniture and objects.
Another purpose of the dollhouse in the 17th century was to teach young girls how to run and manage a household. Often called Nuremburg kitchens, these dollhouses contained items like a straw broom, pots and pans, and a hearth. This way, mothers could teach their daughters how to take care of their future home.
It wasn’t until the beginning of the 19th century when the concept of play shifted, and children began to use dollhouses for enjoyment, rather than learning. At this time, however, dollhouses were still fairly costly and only owned by the upper class. After World War II was when they became more affordable and were mass produced.
The Dollhouse Buying Guide
When purchasing a dollhouse, consider how complicated the assembly will be. Some dollhouses come with simple instructions and a few large pieces that need to be put together, while others are more complex with many small pieces. Think about the amount of time you have to dedicate to assembling the toy, and whether you have the tools and skills required.
You’ll also want to look at the size of the dollhouse and what kind of dolls it accommodates. The height of each floor and the ratio of the dollhouse will determine what kinds of dolls and figurines can play inside it. Be sure to measure the dolls your children want to use in the dollhouse to determine if they will fit.
Take a look at how many open sides the dollhouse has. If just one child will be playing with the dollhouse at a time, then having one open side will work for you. However, if multiple children will be playing with the dollhouse, you may want to look for one that has two open sides so that the kids will have access to the inside of the house.
When playing with a dollhouse, one of the most enjoyable activities is rearranging the furniture and accessories. Take a look at how much furniture comes with the dollhouse and which types of accessories are included. If no furniture or accessories come with the dollhouse, be sure to check if any are available and how easy they are to acquire. Some dollhouses come with the basics like a table, chairs and bed, while others include things like highchairs, oven mitts and throw cushions.
Depending on the ages of your children, having a dollhouse with unique features like lights and sounds may be exciting. Some houses even come with features such as moving elevators, outdoor pools and water slides. Consider what your kids will find appealing when looking at the special aspects of the home. Some kids will be more intrigued by sitting their dolls down at the kitchen table to have a chat, while others will want to have the option of swimming in the pool or taking the car out of the garage.