Dolls house or Sylvanian Families?

[limomo82]

Your opinions gratefully received! My daughter is almost four and showing an interest in this sort of play. What in your opinion is best / a good buy?

Thank you 😊

Either would be good but my girls have loved Sylvanians, and still play with them at 7 and 9. They are pricey but very cute and last well. I'm quite attached to them! Be warned though the accessories are minute!

Sylvanians

Having got through the age range, I'd say go straight to Sylvanian Families. You can add a few smaller dolls to the playable figures - all the furniture is suitable for human figures too as long as the right size.

My DD has had years of play out of her Barbie house and dolls, the outfits are changeable and you can do their hair and they're a bit more robust and less fiddly than Sylvanian families, which she also has some of but the Barbies have been the bigger hit.

DD (4) has a few dolls but plays with her Sylvanians far more. But we bought her the Hape all-season (?) house rather than a Sylvanian house for longevity.

I’d say dolls house - it’s used far more in this house. She loves setting up the house and with just a few dolls plays beautiful stories.

Sylvanians.
Dc loved their dolls house but enjoyed adding to their collection of sylvanians more.

I would say dolls house too. DD has both and will play with them both, but the dolls house is the firm favourite that she always plays with (3 nearly 4 years old)

Thank you! Perhaps Sylvanian families with a nice sized dolls house is a good idea

Dolls house is used far more in our house. My DC are now 9 and 11 and the Sylvanians have barely been played with over the years, but all sorts of toys are used with the dolls house.

Have you considered Maileg Mice? They have a dolls house and furniture too. It is definitely pricey but it will last an absolute lifetime.

The furniture is quite chunky and good for little hands but (in my opinion) the collection is timeless and they will be passing it on to future generations.

Ahh, I thought Sylvanian houses are doll houses? Are they not? What's the difference? My dd is nearly 4 too and I am thinking of getting her Sylvanian house and some of their other stuff assuming and always thought Sylvanian houses are dolls houses with animal figurines in them instead of human figurines if that makes sense ?

🤦‍♀️

@limomo82

Thank you! Perhaps Sylvanian families with a nice sized dolls house is a good idea

Yes, mine used sylvanians in a dolls house, now dolls house is a proper miniature world and much loved sylvanians now long gone (they sell well on ebay)

Ahh, I thought Sylvanian houses are doll houses? Are they not? What's the difference? My dd is nearly 4 too and I am thinking of getting her Sylvanian house and some of their other stuff assuming and always thought Sylvanian houses are dolls houses with animal figurines in them instead of human figurines if that makes sense

I think the proportions of Sylvanian houses/cars/furniture etc would work for Sylvanians, but may be too small for Barbies and the like.

My DD had a nice big dolls house with lovely furniture
etc, but the Sylvanians and small house was played with much more. She also had the car, caravan, tandem etc which we bought later - and we added more character. I personally love sylvanians.

As a kid, I had a proper dolls house with sylvanian families in it. Still have them and can't wait for DD to be old enough to play with it too!

That's a hard question. I have two daughters, and the older one likes Sylvanian Families while the youngest prefers dolls house. Yes, it's quite expensive, but at least I know that my younger daughter will still play with Sylvanians in the future. And, to be honest, both of them like different toys, so it's a nightmare choosing toys for them. I'm glad that they both enjoy the snake ladder, but I think it's the only thing they use together because I'm not even sure if they want to play with the toys of each other.