Gender-Neutral Dollhouses That Inspire Imagination
When I was three, I got a dollhouse for Christmas, built by my talented Papa (he went on to make grandfather clocks and I’m honored to have one in my dining room.) I was so excited; it was a memory I’ll never forget. As I got older, I remember decorating the walls inside with wrapping paper for wallpaper, and placing the delicate furniture my grandmother got me in the different rooms.
I’m grateful for my thoughtful parents who carefully saved this dollhouse that is now sitting in Sienna’s room here in Portland (all the way from Arkansas via a stint in Nashville), and I’m so glad we lugged that around all these years. The coolest part? My papa painted the house yellow with white trim all those years ago…the exact colors of our current house in Portland. (Cue all the tears).
I know not everyone can have a talented Papa around to make a custom dollhouse, but I’ve found some seriously cute, high-quality options that will bring years of joy for your little.
Why gender-neutral? Well…for two reasons: First, here at TME we strongly believe in moving past old, limiting stereotypes and embracing the child you have, whatever that may mean, and….as it turns out, non-gender specific dollhouses are less-gimmicky, more décor-friendly dollhouses, too. The simpler designs allow for kiddos’ imaginations to run wild and give us mamas who enjoy a peaceful looking home a great option we don’t have to relegate to the toy closet. When on the hunt for these little houses, the designer in me was tempted to only choose the natural wooden ones, but I did find some cute, colorful wooden houses, too.
(My poor child and her black & white, neutral-toned life, haha. Except for the yellow dollhouse, of course.)
Check out the fun options I found below.
Wooden Options
Left to right:
Melissa & Doug Fold N Go – This one is so adorable and portable, so you can easily move it around the house. Love that option! It’s also an overall smaller profile which is nice.
Plan Terrace Dollhouse with furniture (2 rooms) – I’ve always wanted a house with a terrace and an open feel, but I think I’d skip out on the blue roof. Plan Toys make really quality toys for kiddos. I love the accessibility of this design for multiple kiddo play.
Plan Toys Green Dollhouse (on sale here!) – OMG. Can I please live here? This one is selling out and I think you can see why. Adorable, modern and seriously eco-friendly. This one includes a wind turbine, solar cell panel, rain barrel, biofacade and furniture. My move-in date TBD.
Plan Toys My First Dollhouse – This is another great sturdy, last-forever option. It’s larger than it seems here at 25″ high and 23″ long. Plenty of room for play on this one. There’s a tiny floral spring wallpaper on the walls but it looks very subtle in the photos and retro. I love the natural wood tones of this one and how open it is for an A-frame. It also gets ‘easy to assemble’ and ‘sturdy’ reviews.
Small World Toys Ryan’s Room Home Again Home Again – This is probably my favorite of the dollhouses for younger kiddos. This one is so adorable with two rows of little flowers on the balcony. It also has a top handle making it easy for kiddos to carry. You can add on a Relaxing Style Living Room Furniture Set (rather than the non-relaxing living room?) and family sets in Asian, Hispanic, African-American and Caucasian options. Super cute.
Colorful Options
Left to right:
Melissa and Doug Hi-Rise – This Melissa & Doug house comes with 15 pieces of furniture and has a working garage and elevator! Whoa. I love the checkered floor in the entryway, too. If you’re looking for a colorful option, this one is on sale for almost half off right now. We have quite a few Melissa and Doug products and I’ve always been happy with the quality.
Plan Toys Chalet – This chalet style comes in two pieces so kids can rearrange the layout. Plan Toys uses non-toxic, organic products like rubber wood in their dollhouses. Serious thumbs up for that. This is one of the largest houses at a whopping 23″x 14″ x 30″…SO much room for play in a super cool modern style. I adore this color way and the style of this one, but it’s selling out quickly. It also comes in a slightly different version with furniture included.
Plan Toys Creative Play – This adorable house is a great smaller size but in a cute modern design. It has 3 units that can be arranged in over 10 different ways. It features 1 movable staircase, 2 solar cell roofs that can flip and create into a garden, 6 movable decoration walls, 2 glass fences and sets of modern furniture for the bedroom, a living room, a bathroom, kitchen and dining room. (Includes total of 28 pieces) SO cute, and a great choice for a compact option.
Hape Geometrics – I love this simple little house for younger kiddos (3+ as small parts are included) It comes with the people and furniture shown and you can rearrange the house shapes to create a variety of interesting home layouts. SO fun. It’s a manageable size but still room for play at 23″ x 5″ x 11″
Abigail Dollhouse with furniture – This one is one of the brightest color-wise and includes, check it, 54 pieces of furniture, 4 dolls and a pet dog (because, of course!) It has moveable stairs and a handle on top for easy carry. This definitely has the most bang for your buck if you’re cool with the color.
Hape All Seasons – This is one of the more popular houses, with 202 4.75-star reviews. It comes furnished with insanely adorable furniture, has solar panels painted on the roof and even some landscaping in the front. This is a larger sized house, too, at 23″ x 11″ x 29″
Have you started on your holiday shopping yet? I keep thinking I’m close and then realize the list keeps growing. We’re trying to focus on the ‘something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read’ formula for our immediate family this year. It helps to approach it that way, but I’ll admit it is tough to stick to a plan when you get tempted by all the fun stuff.
xo,
L
P.S. Head over to our full page of 2018 holiday gift guides for more seriously cool gift ideas for all your loved ones (or whomever).
Be sure to follow me on Instagram @elletrain to see daily outfits, what I’m currently whipping up in the kitchen, and of course, Sienna’s dance moves. And don’t forget about LikeToKnow.It for easy peasy shopping of the looks I’m wearing!
