Dolls houses - what style & what age to give?

What age did you get your child a dolls house? I'm considering getting my daughter one for her 3rd birthday, but am wondering if this is a bit young.

What style do you find is more enjoyable and/or practical? I had one that had doors that opened at the front to reveal rooms inside, but I know they now make them quite open & accessible from several sides...

When I was older I had another one with very refined furniture in it (none of the chunky wood stuff), but that's obviously not what DD is up to yet!

Any thoughts?

Last Christmas I did an IKEA expedit unit up as dolls house - DD was 3.5 and DS was 18 months - so it has no cool opening doors or windows etc - and I just made a few bits of furniture from boxes. They love playing with it, the lack of features doesn't seem to bother them they just make up stuff anyway, and enjoy making there own furniture. We got my sisters Sylvanian families and have had some as presents - while I like the animals the furniture etc is not robust and many pieces too tiny and fiddly for DS in particular. They also use playmobile and Lego in it - and most of time is a real jumble but I don't think that matters - most of the pictures you see of dolls houses on the net are either owned by adults or much older children I reckon.

DD got a Doll hosue with wooden furniture & people (off ebay) for xmas last year (she was 5) she plays with it mostly to set it up & then leaves it. My 2yr old DS likes to play with it though< Again mostly just setting it up.

I read in another post that you prefer wooden type ones but my girls (and my boy) have a Fisher Price dolls house. It has seen hours of play. DD1 got it at 18months old. Even my 17monther loves to put the things in and out. It's just open at the back. It has solid chunky pieces but realistic enough that my 7yo still plays with it.

I always planned on getting her a 'better' one, but ours is so loved and so played with I never saw a need, plus it's not ginormous so it's reasonably easy to store.

There are some beautiful open-ish wooden ones around.

DD1 got a dolls house for her second birthday. It's a tall wooden one with 4 floors (she can reach 3 of them at the moment). She loves it. We got some plastic dolls to go with it.

We bought our niece a dolls house for Christmas. She was 1 and a bit, probably a bit young in hindsight. But it was half price (from Aldi). Not sure what they've done for furniture - we expected it to sit there while she grew into it but now that we're interstate I don't know what she does with it. I know at first she put her cuddly toys in it. And, I know she's got some furniture for it now.

Friends bought their just over 3 year old an expensive wooden dolls house (open front but movable side panels) with matching furniture, which she loved. Her 18 month old sister loved it too - to chew on, pull apart and rip! So most of the furniture is chewed or broken and the fabric has all been ripped. :(

i got the aldi one and it is seriously just collecting dust with my girls.

I was a HUGE dollhouse fan as a kid but i think i was closer to 6-7 years old. by the time the girls set it up they are bored and do not have the concentration i think. i find even if i set it up they move a few bits about and that's it. i will hold onto it for a while yet as i hope that as they get bigger it will be more fun for them.

We have a very plain wooden one which has not been a success with either of my girls. DD1 just never played with anything that required setting up then acting out scenarios. DD2 on the other hand, played heaps with a big barbie dolls house at family day care, and ours just doesn't measure up for some reason. We've got a pretty nice set of wooden furniture for it but she says she doesn't like the dolls :rolleyes:.

We are giving our girls one for Christmas they are 6 and 4, its from big w and has a garage so ds should like it too.