Dollhouse for boy(4) - would you buy?

[mebeforeyou]

DS(4) has started Reception and often tells us one of his favourite things to play with is the dolls house.

Would you buy a dolls house for a boy? One that is neutral colours and not pink and frilly styling but I’m worried he’ll get ridiculed when other children visit our house.

KidKraft do Everyday Heroes or Pirate-themed playsets but they are a bit too expensive for what we’d like to pay as he is already getting a new bike. eBay etc doesn’t have second-hand ones so far.

If your DS has a doll house or similar where did you get it please?

I’ve thought of perhaps seeing if I can buy a plain mdf one and paint and decorate it myself but I’m not really creative and would probably make a mess of it.

It's a house. Boys live in houses just like girls do. No question that I would buy one for him if that's what he likes.

I totally would! How about Playmobil? We’ve got a little house

www.amazon.co.uk/Playmobil-5167-Along-Modern-Dolls/dp/B0077QT4VG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=playmobil+house&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1570485072&sr=8-3

Yes.
I had a toy garage as a girl and didn’t grow a penis.

When my daughter’s classmates come over the boys play with hers just as much as girls. She has a few dragons in there too. It’s great for imaginative play

I worked in Year 1 for a number of years and the doll house was generally more popular with the boys than the girls. Get him one.

Ikea does a pretty neutral looking doll house. I bought my son a wooden castle with king queen knight and horse figures from Amazon when he was pretty young. Playmobil sets are also pretty good my son just never got into playmobil.

Of course. Lidl normally have some nice plain ones closer to Christmas.

Yes, we bought DS1 a nice wooden house and painted our house name on the front of it. He used it a lot. Maybe don’t call it a dolls house if you’re concerned about gendering it, just call it a house/play house etc

I would defo get one for my son if he wanted one asda George do a lovely light blue wooden one that lights up, or one that doesn't. But the colour shouldn't matter hun.

Definitely. My friend's little boy had a dolls house which he loved. He's now an architect so I guess he loved buildings from a young age😀

We have a plain wooden dolls house that both my son and daughter play with. They have never asked for further decoration. We got it second hand, but it’s a bit like this. www.kidly.co.uk/products/sebra/dolls-house/8526?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr56C35OL5QIVWeDtCh1vHgYNEAQYFCABEgJyzvD_BwE But without any coloured bits.
ASDA do a small house with some furniture, although I think the size is part of the attraction of ours.
We also have a castle, which is popular too. I think ours was Melissa and Doug, but there is also this one www.mothercare.com/toy-castles-and-knights/elc-wooden-castle/149372.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv7yxjJOL5QIVxLTtCh0-qgHVEAQYCSABEgLfdfD_BwE

Don’t risk it OP .

I bought my son a pram when he was four and now he’s a paediatrician. It’s all my fault.

Yes, of course! I bought a dolls' house when my oldest was about 2. He loved it and over the years my 5 sons have all loved playing with it, and with the toy cooker. Those two have been among our most used toys and I'm currently deciding whether to pack them away for future grandchildren. The dolls' house is very versatile, and has served duty as a stage for Lego plays, has had cars driven in it, and toy animals climbing all over it. It was from ELC but much more neutral than the stuff they have now. a bit like this but only 2-storey.

Unfortunately, despite growing up with such toys and doing his fair share of household chores and cooking as a child, oldest has matured into an adult who has no apparent sense of interior design, nor any interest in food preparation beyond using the microwave. Am still working on the others.

Goodness me, why is this even a thread ?.
children`s play is just that.

Aren’t you scared that buying him a dolls house might turn him into a homeowner later on in life?

This is a very sad thread. Let kids be kids, and toys be toys.

Gender is such a waste of energy. It benefits nobody.

I’d probably go for something more interesting like a fire station or pirate ship, a Hey Duggee clubhouse or a Paw Patrol lookout. Not just a plain house.

Why would you even ask this? It's a toy, let him enjoy it. My son loved his kitchen and play house in the garden. He's a great cook now!

Ds who is 4 (almost 5) has a pink dolls house which is currently shared by the dinosaurs, a couple of dolls and a small witch. It was his choice with his Christmas money 2 years ago. When his friends come around, it's one of the most played with things in our playroom.

He's also getting the Playmobil dollshouse mentioned by PimmsPleaseee upthread.

Absolutely yes. My 6 and 4 year old boys have requested almost exclusively toys from the "girls" section (gender sterotyping Smyths? Never!). They want barbies, shopkins, hatchimals, and Polly Pockets. The only other requests are for vehicles!

I'm rolling with their choices...😁.

As PP have said, boys also live in houses, so I fail to see the reason behind the gendering.

Ds had my old Fisher Price one and a lovely wooden ELC one too which they seem to have replaced with a pink monstrosity called Rosebud's Cottage

Ds had a pram,dolly and cooker too.

He's an adult now and sadly doesn't cook and has no interest in anything home related but I have high hopes for him pushing his children around in their prams one day

Absolutely not.

I bought my son one and now he’s an estate agent.

@AnxiousMcAnxiousFace 😂😂😂

My boys both play with the Playmobil one mentioned up thread. None of their friends have ever teased them about it.