A few years ago, we got this large tri-fold dollhouse that was perfect for 3 children. Now that our oldest son is 8, he rarely plays with it, making it much more than we needed just for our 5 year old twins. Space has also become an issue as our selection of toys has changed over the years. We not only have to have space for the huge dollhouse, but also for the rooms of furniture that did not fit inside when we folded it up. That is why this more compact and self-contained Take-Along Doll House, a CP Toys Exclusive, is a much better fit for our current needs.
(Click any photo to enlarge)
There is very little set-up required before this dollhouse can be played with. You only need to apply one small sheet of decals (rugs, light sconces, wall art, etc . . . ) and insert two AA-batteries. Then the house is ready for your little one to decorate.
The dollhouse comes with a folded glossy cardboard floor. This is the only part of this playset that does not store inside the dollhouse. The floor we received is slightly different than the one pictured on CPToys.com.
This set comes with a man, a woman, a boy, a girl, and a dog plus five rooms of furniture. Also included are a television to sit on top of the entertainment center, a potted plant in addition to the plant decals, a vanity with a mirror, a table and floor lamps, and more. All pieces store inside the house, which latches shut securely. The arched upstairs window also doubles as a carrying handle.
One of the neat little details this dollhouse offers include a working doorbell. When the door bell is pushed, the outside lights on either side of the front door light up and you hear the sound of a doorbell and a dog barking just like a real dog would in response to someone at the front door. It was also fun for our children to discover all the things that could open, such as the doors and bottom drawer of the armoire, the toilet lid, the refrigerator, the front and back doors, and more.
Our daughter's favorite thing to do is to arrange the rooms of furniture. Our two sons' favorite thing to do is to destroy the rooms of furniture their sister took such care in setting up. They all like to pretend that the boy and the girl are twins just like we have. Another thing I found to be interesting is that our daughter decided to figure out which pair of slippers (pictured on the cardboard floor) belonged to which member of the family by matching up the size of their feet with the size of the shoes.
After many hours of imaginative play, I do suspect that the thin cardboard floor will not last forever. Although I think it is not needed for this playset to be complete, I may go buy two dollhouse rugs to take its place. Those could be easily rolled up and stored inside the house with the rest of the dollhouse furniture.
To learn more about the Take-Along Doll House and other kids' toys and playsets, visit CPToys.com. This toy retails for $42.99 and is perfect for taking to a friend's or relative's house and for bringing along on your next family vacation.
Thank you to CP Toys for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.
Good luck in the drawing!
