Doll houses are a much-loved and well-established toy for children of all ages. But is this traditional treasure being superseded by a new, modern version of playing with doll houses?

Whether it’s Barbie, Cindy or an Action Man, many children love playing with dolls and, let’s face it, all these dolls need a place to live, don’t they? For a child, doll houses can provide hours of joy and entertainment, they can enter a world of unlimited imagination and fun fantasies. Many enjoy decorating their doll houses with furniture and accessories and revel in the opportunity to create a perfect pad of their own.

Parents often encourage their children to play with toys such as dolls and Palm Pals because, not only is it a simple and enjoyable pastime, it can be an educational toy as well. Through play, children can learn values and useful skills which they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives. Through using their imagination, children begin to learn to think for themselves. Through decorating doll houses, children cultivate their creativity and thus develop their own minds and opinions and acquire specific tastes. Through a family doll house a child can also learn the dynamics of a household and appreciate family values and family unity. This can also help during difficult periods, such as a clean break order and other marital issues, as it’s a simple way of communicating with children in a way they can understand.

However, nowadays, with the internet and technology playing such an integral role in society, many children are turning away from the traditional toy and opting to play with doll houses that are available online. There are hundreds of websites that provide doll games where children can decorate and design their own doll house as well as their own dolls.

Many parents may be wary or disappointed by this as it’s turning away from tradition and they may fear that no benefits can be gained by using a computerised version. However, there are also key skills and valuable traits to be picked up by playing such games on the internet. First of all, a child will become familiar with using a computer and in this day and age that is frankly, essential. Thus, the earlier a child learns to pick up basic computer skills the better. If you’re worried about your child accidentally accessing anything they shouldn’t online, that can be solved by using a firewall or other online child protection methods available. Playing with online doll houses is also a positive because it’s cheaper as most games are free, whereas with a traditional toy house there are many pieces of furniture to buy, not to mention the dolls themselves!

To conclude, it’s essential to point out that both versions of doll houses should be readily embraced. Whilst it’s important to keep traditional play alive and let children be children it’s also crucial to let them keep up with the times; perhaps a healthy dose of both is what’s needed – you may find your child actually prefers to play with the physical version.

[disclosure*]