Why every child should have a dollhouse
Play is so important for children and imaginative role-play is one of the key ways that children learn about the world around them. Social skills, life skills and physical skills are all developed during playtime with a dolls house.
Dolls are amongst the oldest toys on record with dolls being found as far back as Greek and Roman times with miniature houses even being found in Ancient Egyptian tombs (although these were almost certainly not for children to play with).
There are so many great benefits to playing with a dollhouse. Children develop language skills, hand-eye coordination, narrative thought and fine motor skills when playing with the doll furniture. Playing with a dollhouse allows children to both develop their imaginations and to act out real-life scenarios
Not to mention the fact that a dolls house can provide hours of fun and will often be played with for years and years. And it’s not just girls that should have a dolls house. Boys will benefit just as much from dollhouse play. And we have some great options for boys dollhouses.
Creativity and imagination
Children develop their imagination by using it, and role-play toys such as kitchens and dolls houses are perfect for this. Children will use their own life experiences and then develop and expand them. Creating scenes and scenarios that they can take in any direction they choose.
If you feel your little one is struggling with playing imaginatively there are plenty of things you could try to help them on their way. Setting up the dolls house can be made into a moving day game where they deliver the furniture and set it up in each of the rooms. And you could suggest other scenarios to act out like getting ready for school or having friends over for a bbq in the garden.
Developing Social and Life Skills
Playing with dolls and dollhouses is also a great way for children to develop social and life skills. Playing in this way will naturally develop their language and vocabulary, and help them develop their capacity for narrative thought or storytelling.
Children will often use dolls to act out real like social situations allowing them to work through troubling or difficult situations in a safe way. It’s for this reason that dolls houses are often popular in child therapy as children will often act out scenarios they wouldn’t otherwise talk about.
Playing with friends also encourages sharing and turn-taking as well as developing listening skills.
Developing Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are hugely important for young kids to develop as it’s these skills they will need for writing, playing a musical instrument and buttoning their shirts or tying their shoes.
The small size of a dolls house means they are constantly using fine motor skills when they are arranging the dolls and furniture or changing their outfits. Depending on the size of the dolls and the age of the child this will also require hand-eye coordination and concentration.
