Dolls House for boys

[rebajayne]

Hi

Im a bit stuck, my 4 year old boys loves to play with the dolls house at nursery, he dosent play familys as such but just likes that fact that it has a dog and a baby in it. So my friend bought him a cheap plastic one for his birthday and he loves it plays for hours with it, but it is far too girly for him. Im wanting a few ideas of what could replace the dolls house or one that is not so girly.

Thanks

[Drusilla]

You have a happy and contented child. Isn't that satisfying enough? I think there is an unspoken agenda at work here which is more to do with your own fears and I think it would be sad to try and direct his play interests elsewhere. Like all children, he will move onto something else in his own time and with Christmas coming, that time may be very soon. Be happy that he seems so happy. He sounds delightful.

[rebajayne]

Yes he is very happy, and like i said loves to play with it, I dont mind him playing with it but this is very much for girls, i would love to buy him a dolls house but more for boys,

I would rather him play with it becasue he is calm whilst doing it, when he gets his spiderman out he wants to fight with it.

Thanks for you advice

[smudge]

How about a nice wooden farm yard with people as well as animals in it.

Other than that, I can't see what's wrong with your son playing with a dolls house - after all, our little Granddaughter loves playing with her cousin's cars, as well as all her other toys.

Some men love cooking, but it doesn't make them girlie!

[lissyl78]

I think I know what you mean - you haven't got a problem with him playing with a dolls house but the one he has is just too girly.

Fisher Price has a Little People range which has a dolls house that isn't too 'pink', or there's a castle instead. They do loads in the range like a fairground and a farm too, all in bright colours and lovely and chunky. x

[mimififi]

you could purchase some medium weight Mdf, and jigsaw out four pieces with a 'hook'and eye' cut into them so they can slot together and into a base board also, then paint it or cover it in walpaper etc.

people are easy to purchase from ElC or anywhere, ebay etc as well as furniture.

This would be an excellent idea as it would also fold flat for storage. The people could hang in a little draw string PE style bag. This could be taken with you places too for him to play with at MIL's house etc

( such a great idea, in fact I think I might do it for my littl'ns I really resent the prices of wooden dolls houses!)

[woofgang]

take a look at th4e playmobil range, but it is a bit pricey

[Oneeyedvic]

My wife has two grown up children (26 & 28). She wanted to be a progressive mother and so let her son (28) play with dolls when he was a child and her daughter play with guns.

At the age of 17, her son just wanted to get in bed with every blond he could and her daughter at the age of 15 just wanted to join the army!

Totally true story.

[Coobeastie]

He's a child and i think that there is a danger of you projecting your social stereotypes on to him. He'll grow out of it (if thats really the right term to use) in his own time.

[mimififi]

if your boy likes playing with this kind of toy, he might also like to play teaset too. My boy (who frankly is so male it makes him basically alien to me and we have big problems on the communication side as he just thinks totally differently to me!) loves playing with a tea set. I make a cuppa and he has it in the teapot, with milk jug, sugar bowl, miniture spoons etc etc etc. he loved it as a 2 year old and is still partial now as a nearly 8 year old.

My mum bought him last christmas a small china teapot and some espresso cups and tiny coffee spoons and made up a set which was a bit more masculine looking than the china ones for sale in shops. A weird phenomenum but he loves it (maybe he just likes having a bowl of suga to play with) but he sits really quietly, never makes a mess with it (makes a mess with everything else) and enjoys the washing up of it afterward. If I have calls to make, they all sit at the table with their own tea sets, and if Im feeling generous they have a plate of fancy cakes and biscuits too.

Weird game init! But well worth the peace and quiet. just make sure you are sitting next to the houseplants when they bring you 'your cup' yum yum!

[maggie01]

I work in a pre school and really theres no such thing as boys toys or girls toys. We make sure there are enough toys out suited to boys or girls but you find they see them as all toys. The boys play with the dolls house and push a baby in a buggy. The girls play with cars and the train set. Doesn't mean they are not going to grow up as healthy men and women.

[spudqueen]

My two boys both had kitchens, dolls pushchair (though it was Mickey mouse or Postman Pat who was pushed in it rather than a doll), brush and mop set, ironing board and iron (toys ones before anyone goes mad!!!!!!!!!!!) and really enjoyed playing with them. My eldest loved playing with his cousins Lucy Locket and Polly Pocket so I got him a disney set (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) which was a little house with people he could play with and also playmobile stuff (he had a car with a 'dad' and 'boy' with lots of bits to put in it and a boat with 3 people and again lots of bit. Honestly they love all that sort of stuff. One of their favourite videos was the Walt Disney 'Robin Hood' and I saw advertised the other day a 'Robin Hood' castle with all the characters in it. If my kids were young enough that's what I'd be buying them this year (I think at 14 and 11 they wouldn't be impressed now though!).

[schmeeges]

See if you can find the children's book "William's Doll" - it's a lovely story about a grandmother who buys William a doll because that's what he wants, after Dad's tried trains and balls and cars, and when Dad freaks, Grandma explains that if William learns to nurture his doll, he will learn to be a nurturing father.

I completely empathise with the pink-mania though - I have a daughter and find everything too pink for her! My husband built a simple dolls house and we painted it red, navy and orange.

good luck!

[little star]

there is nothink at all wrong with your son as my 5 year old brother is the same.it is naturall and he is still young nd exploring differnt games nd toys.

[rebajayne]

Thanks for you answers, ive had a look at the different suggestions, But i do think a lot of peopel have mis read me. Im not worried that nmy son might grow up different becasue he likes to play with pink toys, i just think a dolls house that isnt pink plastic would be a lot better for him.

Your suggestions are great and he now really wants a pirate ship.

[jennycritch]

I hear where you're coming from! I have a 7yr. old boy who loves playing with his "girl" friends doll house & was embarrased when I asked him if he liked it. He was playing with the house for an hour or more. I wanted to get him one, but I also wanted him to feel comfortable about it. All of the "play" houses I saw where big and pink! Until...I found a wooden fire house with people and furniture for $50 at one of those learning toy stores! I also found a wooden farm for my 4 yr. old boy who loves animals. I can't wait for Santa to come this year!

[maximuschof]

Hi there,

I joined answerbank just to answer your question. You may be interested to know that a famous child psychologist Bruno Bettleheim, believed that playing with dolls house was very therapeutic for all children, to act out everyday events etc. So like you, when i found my two year old playing with doll's houses at every opportunity, i went in search of one suitable for boys. i too wanted one which wasn't too girly or expensive. there are quite a few wooden ones around (Plan toys, ELC etc) which would be fine for a boy, but all quite expensive once you add in the room sets. The farms aren't true doll's houses because they lacked living space, so lacked the "therapeut�c value". i found a castle with a bedroom and dining room etc but again very expensive. In the end i snapped up a house from IKEA. The complete house with furniture cost �17. I bought an extra house for �7 to add 2 more big rooms. It's simple but great. Kitchen, bathroom, livingroom, dining room, double bedroom, twin room. (A friend of mine saw it and bought it for her 3 year old for his birthday.) Both my boys play with it all the time. We were also lent a plastic house with sounds (happyland) and they love that too. i'm thinking of buying the fisherprice one for my one year old, but i'm put off by the pink. Is that the one you have?

[JCW]

You have probably found something by now - or given up - but I wanted to recommend the IKEA dolls house furniture. It is in bright colours, not pink, and we made a dolls house out of an IKEA cupboard which works brilliantly. My son, 6 and daughter 4 both still play with it. The trouble with the pink stuff is that your son may grow self conscious and stop playing with it beacause other children may say 'pink is for girls' which is nonsence of course but can begin to put children off.

[rebajayne]

Hiya thanks for the Ikea idea, ive looked there and i saw the one you mean, i have actually found a nice wooden one now. but thanks anyway.

[alfiesgirl123]

Dolls houses are not just for girls and there should be more choice, my grandaughter loves them and the the grandsons like them too. I see in Dolls House Emporium they sell a western saloon. Good luck in your search