The Benefits of Dollhouses: Why These Mini Worlds Matter More Than You Think! By Contiributor Annamarie von Firley
There is something magical about dollhouses. They are small enough to fit on a shelf, and they hold a key to another imaginative universe for children. Playing with a dollhouse isn’t just about fun; it helps strengthen social-emotional growth, creativity, language development, and fine motor skills in many exciting ways. Whether in a classroom environment, therapy, or even at home, dollhouses are amazing and can offer powerful benefits far more than can be seen with the eye.
Open-Ended Play
Dollhouses don’t have any rules; children can act out whatever they imagine, allowing them an open canvas to play. This freedom allows them to build skills such as imagination, creative thinking, and problem-solving. When they are engaged with open-ended play, they experience a sense of control over their world. In this mini universe, they are the director of their movie. They get to decide the storyline, what the environment should be like, who the characters are, and what they are doing, such as cooking in the kitchen or decorating the bedroom; the choices are endless. They build problem-solving skills through navigating conflicts in different scenarios, reflecting scenes that they have witnessed at home, school, as well as through storybooks and movies. This helps them to begin to understand other people and their world.
Build Fine Motor Skills
There are many pieces to a dollhouse: the house, furniture, clothing, accessories, and of course, the dolls themselves. Children must decide where to place each item, which encourages creativity and decision making. This decorating aspect highlights design thinking, as kids experiment with layouts, arrangements, and solutions to make the rooms just right.
Some dollhouse furniture even requires assembly or painting, which strengthens finger muscles, and supports skills like eye-hand coordination, dexterity, pincer grasp, and problem-solving. Decorating the rooms also offers fine motor skill development, as children carefully pick up miniatures and place them in specific spaces. The movement of objects during play-such as rearranging furniture or adjusting accessories-helps refind the same motor skills.
In addition,changing the doll’s clothing further enhances dexterity and problem-solving. Children may have to try different strategies to successfully dress their dolls. Altogether, decorating, assembling, and dressing build fine motor skills.
Language & Social-Emotional Development
Dollhouses also spark conversations. Whether a child is playing alone and narrating the story, or roleplaying with friends and family, they’re practicing language skills every step of the way.
Imaginative play is especially powerful for vocabulary growth. As kids create dialogue for their dolls and describe what’s happening in their miniature world, they pick up new words and learn how to put their ideas into sentences. The more they play, the more they practice storytelling and expressive language without even realizing it.
Research shows that dolls also prompt children to talk about thoughts and emotions, which help them understand different perspectives. As the study, Exploring the Benefits of Doll Play Through Neuroscience explains, ”Pretending to play with dolls provides a unique outlet for practicing social and empathic skills, even playing by oneself”. [1]
When other children play together, the dollhouse becomes even more social. Kids share ideas, negotiate roles, and problem-solve together–important skills that carry over into school, friendships, and family life.
So, why invest in a dollhouse? Because it brings together so many important skills–creativity, problem-solving, fine motor skills, emotional awareness, and language growth–all in one timeless toy. In a world where screens often dominate, dollhouses remind us that some of the best learning comes from unplugged, hands-on play. These “mini worlds” have been around for ages, since the 1500s, they are still just as valuable today for helping kids imagine, explore, and connect.
Where to buy: https://www.adventuretowntoys.com/mansion.html
Citations
Hashmi, S., Vanderwert, R. E., Price, H. A., & Gerson, S. A. (2020). Exploring the Benefits of Doll Play Through Neuroscience. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, 560176. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2020.560176
Bio:
Annamarie von Firley is the President of the beloved Adventuretown Toy Emporium located in Los Angeles. She has a BFA in Wooden Toy Design and Construction from Hampshire College and BFA in Furniture Design from California College of the Arts She was the cofounder and designer of the revered reproduction vintage clothing store, reVamp, for 20 years. Her handiwork has been seen on Broadway and major motion pictures, as well as in the Smithsonian.