Best Toys

One of the toys that many women remember most fondly from their childhood is their dollhouse.   Dollhouses can be one of the most treasured and played with toys that a child has.  But many parents know that dollhouses are not always as good as they could be.  Many dollhouses are too flimsy to stand up to use or are too delicate to be used every day as toys.  When it comes to dollhouses, often the top kids toys are those that take a unique approach, such as the Step2 Grand Balcony Dollhouse.

The Step2 Grand Balcony Dollhouse is a truly impressive, three story dollhouse that is certainly as large as anyone could hope for.  The bottom floor contains a dining room and kitchen, while the second floor has a large bedroom.  There’s also a third floor veranda, and even a balcony on the front of the dollhouse, which give girls more room to play.  One of the things we like about this toy is that the back is completely open, which leaves enough room for two to play together.  This makes playing with a dollhouse an activity that can be shared.  Another thing that helps us to classify this doll as one of the hot toys of 2009 is the fact that it’s sized for 12” fashion dolls.  The smaller sized dolls that are usually found in these toys are unfortunately easy to lose and hard to replace.  By contrast, these larger dolls are easier to hold on to, and also are much easier to find.  In fact, this is perhaps the most popular size of doll, which means that your little girl probably already has dolls she can use, without you needing to purchase anything new.

Another think that makes this among the best toys in the dollhouse category is the fun and durable furniture that’s included.  The house is furnished with a kitchen unit, a television, sofa, bed, coffee table, and more.  This means that there’s plenty to inspire imaginative play, which is big part of many of the top toys of 2009. Plus, there’s more than enough furniture for girls to feel as though their dolls’ home is truly well furnished, without their being anything too delicate or easy to break.  Also, the furniture is well sized so that dolls of the intended size easily sit on chairs and the couch.

Among the few things that we found that might be considered problematic with the Step2 Grand Balcony Dollhouse is also one of the things that we actually enjoyed about it:  it’s sheer size.  While the large size means you can accommodate bigger dolls and have plenty of room for two to share, it also means that this toy can take up quite a bit of room, and can dominate a smaller space.  However, we found that the extra space made for convenient storage for dolls and doll accessories.  Moreover, for those for whom space isn’t really an issue, the size of this doll house really is fun and useful.  In general, if you’re looking for a dollhouse that your daughter can enjoy for years, then you’ll probably be happy with the Step2 Grand Balcony Dollhouse.  Not only is this one of the best kids toys 2009, but it will most likely be enjoyed for years to come.  And someday, when your daughter has children of her own, they may enjoy playing with that very same dollhouse.