I still remember taking my girls to a friend’s house for a playdate, and realizing that my youngest daughter, then about two, could lose herself for an hour or more with the little girl’s dollhouse without making a peep. I knew from then on that imagination-building toys would rule her world and the hunt for the perfect dollhouse would begin. If you have a boy or girl in the same boat–or house–I’ve found just the one to get them started.

This new child’s dollhouse, simply called “Playhouse,” is the perfect first dollhouse. With just three floors, enough furniture to fill it, and a couple of dolls, it’s not a behemoth Victorian that a three year old simply doesn’t need. What makes it really special is the attached two-sided playmat. The playmat forms the back wall and roof of house, or unroll it to make a backyard garden.

Child's first dollhouse | Giggle

As a bonus, the price is terrific for wooden construction, and sustainable rubberwood makes it far more substantial–and eco-friendly–than the generic plastic things at the big toy stores. I can’t say for sure without a brand name on the site, but it looks like it might be made exclusively for Giggle by CMP fave Plan Toys. Which only makes me love it more. –Liz

Find the perfect first dollhouse exclusively at Giggle.