I have wonderful memories of playing with a dollhouse my Dad made for me in the 1980s, today my daughter has two that she regularly plays with alongside her little brother. Dollhouses have been around since the 16th century, and today, they are loved by children and adults alike who enjoy building, customising and playing with dollhouses.
Are dollhouses still popular?
Dollhouses are still popular, they regularly appear on must-have toy lists, and as well as being one of the most enduring children’s toys, they are popular with adults too. Dollhouses are popular with collectors, designers and hobbyists as they offer a creative outlet for adults.
On this page, we take a look at why dollhouses have such enduring appeal and why they remain as popular today as they did when they were first mass produced, back in the 1950s.
Why are dollhouses still popular?
There are three main reasons for the continued popularity of dollhouses:
- They offer children a chance for imaginative play in a world easily recognisable to them and give them an opportunity to understand that world.
- They offer adults a chance for escapism and mindfulness through a hobby that involves building, designing and decorating every aspect of a dollhouse.
- Humans have been obsessed with tiny things since the first dollhouse was made in the 16th century and according to researchers, we’re hard-wired to love anything cute and tiny – think of the explosion of interest in Japanese Kawaii culture in the last few years.
Children will always enjoy imaginative play and adults will always enjoy hobbies so it’s no wonder dollhouse popularity continues.
The pandemic has meant that adults in particular have turned to the immersive world of dollhouses and miniatures as a comforting and mindful hobby. Despite many retail areas taking a downturn during the pandemic, the sale of dolls was up 10.7% from 2019 to 2020. One miniature retailer in the UK saw sales more than double during lockdown.
“The attraction of the toy house as a child’s plaything is obvious but…it also remains a compelling hobby for adults, who spend large sums of money and much time in pursuit of perfection in their miniature world.”
From the Guidebook To the 2014 dollhouse exhibition At the V&A Museum of Childhood
Why do children like dollhouses?
Dollhouses encourage imaginative and co-operative play. I’ve seen this in action with my two kids – their dolls go through all manner of dramas during a play session, from visits to hospital, school, camping trips and fairs, to mealtimes, cafes and even visits from the police. It’s just like real life, except the police part, and it gives them a chance to explore the world they live in and all the possible outcomes that world offers in the safety of miniatures.
I use the dollhouse and its inhabitants to play-out stories when they’re experiencing change, such as starting school, lockdown during the pandemic or after their grandma sadly died. Children like dollhouses because they can act out control imaginary events, which helps them cope with similar events in real life.
Another reason children’s love for dollhouses endures is that they are excellent toys for promoting positive mental health in children. A new study by Cardiff University has shown that playing with dolls and dollhouses can encourage empathy: “Evidence shows that doll play activates brain regions which are associated with social information processing and empathy, indicating that doll play enables children to rehearse, use and perform these skills even when playing on their own.”
Dollhouses are used by child therapists to work through difficult circumstances or emotions, therapist Susan Scheftel Ph.D. recognises that a dollhouse is essential to sessions with patients:
“For child therapists, a dollhouse is a “must have.” It offers the possibility for a child to stage dramas on an acceptable play stage: a safe and small space within which to create narratives that somehow parallel and reveal much about their own inner and outer lives.”
Why do adults like dollhouses?
Adults don’t necessarily like dollhouses because they want to play with them, but more because designing, building and decorating them is a satisfying hobby.
As well as being immersed in an ongoing project with attainable and satisfying goals (such as completing a dollhouse room or replacing a dollhouse roof!), our love of all things small means that even teenagers and young adults are now turning their skills to crafting tiny masterpieces and showing the results on Instagram
Some people prefer the construction side of making the dollhouse and tiny furniture, other hobbyists prefer living out their interior design fantasies on a miniature scale. For adults customising a dollhouses, it’s not much of a step from The Sims or Animal Crossing, which give people a chance to design, build and decorate dream homes they could never attain in real life. I put a copy of my autobiography (which I haven’t written!) in a tiny library I made, just because I could!
When you have a dollhouse, you are in total control over what happens in it, so there’s no wonder more and more people began making and furnishing dollhouses during the pandemic.
My dollhouse recommendations
There are hundreds of different dollhouses to choose from, but I’ve kept things simple and picked my favourite one for kids and for adults:
Kids
Hape E3401 All Season House- Fully Furnished Wooden Dolls House – I love Hape products, they are exceptionally well made and made from wood so are eco friendly and are great value for money. This adorable dollhouse comes complete with furniture and has lovely modern touches such including solar panels on the roof!
Adults
Exmouth Victorian-style dollhouse – I picked this one as it’s very similar to the one I have, except mine was free from Freecycle! This one is in a much better condition though and you’ll be able to start decorating it and filling it with miniature treasures instantly. There are three floors, removable stairs and partitions and hours of fun to be had planning out and designing the interior of this dollhouse.
So it looks like dollhouses will be popular for years to come and whether it’s kids playing with them together, or adults sharing their latest handcrafted miniatures on social media, it’s good to bear in mind the motto of the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts: “Only through sharing can we really enjoy our treasures.”