My young daughter loved Calico Critters. Just get the animals and tuck away all the tiny accessories and get them out later if the play style merits doing so. Or don't. The tiny parts really are a pain.

My daughter also had a pretty expensive hand-me-down, sort of Scandinavian style doll-house that she used *some*, but mostly she loved building houses out of our big collection of Magnatiles. Sweet stuff!

My 4 y/o daughter has both.

She’s good with the calico critter dolls and house and beds, etc. but the accessories are TINY.

She also has a dollhouse that were given hand me down from a friend.

Anonymous wrote:We have tons of Calico Critters, but I think they are better once kids get 5 or so. My DDs played with them at 3 yo, but their ability to manipulate all the little pieces improved with age.

FWIW, they also use the regular dollhouse for the Calico Critters, so if you're getting the dollhouse for your DD (I like the Hape one), future birthday could still include lots of Calico Critters.

This is a good idea.

Anonymous wrote:We love the Hape dollhouse and DD uses her Daniel Tiger figurines instead of the Hape people (I find the Hape people creepy looking).
She loves it and sometimes takes all the furniture out of the house and makes a "campfire" circle with all the furniture and plays outside the house, but she also plays inside the house.

My daughter is the same. In fact I thought for a second I had written this comment. Hape dollhouse, daniel tiger figures--also sometimes duplo people as they can bend to sit in the chairs. We have the hape people, but she doesn't really use them.

Anonymous wrote:We love the Hape dollhouse and DD uses her Daniel Tiger figurines instead of the Hape people (I find the Hape people creepy looking).
She loves it and sometimes takes all the furniture out of the house and makes a "campfire" circle with all the furniture and plays outside the house, but she also plays inside the house.

Agree all dollhouse family figurines just seem creepy.

We have tons of Calico Critters, but I think they are better once kids get 5 or so. My DDs played with them at 3 yo, but their ability to manipulate all the little pieces improved with age.

FWIW, they also use the regular dollhouse for the Calico Critters, so if you're getting the dollhouse for your DD (I like the Hape one), future birthday could still include lots of Calico Critters.

We love the Hape dollhouse and DD uses her Daniel Tiger figurines instead of the Hape people (I find the Hape people creepy looking).
She loves it and sometimes takes all the furniture out of the house and makes a "campfire" circle with all the furniture and plays outside the house, but she also plays inside the house.

Calico critters accessories, like the kitchen utensils and bathroom fixtures are tiny and get everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

I am trying to pick between these for my daughter who is turning 3 next week. Being the second kid all her toys have been hand me downs from her brother and I want to get her something nice for her birthday.

Our choices are the hape dollhouse: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QZLBXO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ET2HCb10QYDZ7

Kids Kraft dollhouse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ADVR3S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_aW2HCb1EJ52ZM

Or the calico critters cottage.

Help me pick between this.