Melissa & Doug Take-Along Wooden Doorbell Dollhouse - Doorbell Sounds, Keys, 4 Poseable Wooden Dolls Portable Doll House, Doorbell House for Kids Ages 3+

I bought this specifically for the purpose of storing our collection of Whittle People. We have about 30 of these wooden figures remaining (the dog chewed up a few before we got this to safely lock them up when not in use). Some Whittle People came with our Melissa & Doug Whittle World Plane and Luggage Carrier Set, Melissa & Doug School Bus Play Set, and Melissa & Doug Whittle World Train Platform Play Set. Plus, we have the Melissa & Doug Whittle World Accessory Bundle, Pack Of 3, so there were lots of Whittle People looking for a place to live between adventures! Up to 10 of the adult size Whittle People fit in each compartment of this little house, so we have room for at least 10 more if we acquire more Whittle World people.This is the perfect storage container for the Whittle People:* It just makes sense for toy people to "live" in a toy house.* It is easy to retrieve all the people from the toybox at once as opposed to scavenging around for multiple small people.* It is easy for the real-live little ones to carry the house around from storage area to play area and back again.* Getting everyone safely "home" at the end of playtime becomes a game in itself.* It is a fun toy in its own right.* It is educational. My grandson and great-grandson are learning to identify the proper keys by their numbers and shapes, and they are developing their manual dexterity as they ring doorbells, unlock doors, and move their toy people in and out of the 4 "apartment" compartments.* It captures the interest of kids from ages 3 to 5 years.* It helps teach two house-keeping habits I want to pass on: 1) "A place for everything, and everything in its place" and 2) "Surfaces are for activities, not for storage".* The dog has been unable to figure out how to unlock this!Here is a helpful hint to encourage kids to explore the full potential of this toy and to preserve the sanity of adults in the vicinity. Give it to the children WITHOUT installing the battery at first. Otherwise they may become fixated on ringing the doorbells. Once they have thoroughly explored the silent features of this toy, you can install the batteries. Then the bells will add to the fun rather than being the primary function of the toy.I highly recommend the Melissa and Doug Wooden Doorbell House for children ages 3 to 5. It is sturdy. The designs on the four sides are appealing and have held up well despite being glued-on paper. It is fun. There are a lot of different ways to play with it. By encouraging the storage of the Whittle People inside of it, it keeps the playroom (which is also my living room) neater. I can't begin to tell you how much this has made my life easier. By the way, I was inspired to search for a house-shaped container for the Whittle People when I saw how willing my grandson and great-grandson were to put their Melissa & Doug Traffic Signs and Vehicles away in the VW Volkswagen T1 Camper Van Toiletry Wash Bag - Red - Multiple Color Options Available.This is a really great toy, but there are three things that would make it better:1) A wooden chimney instead of the cheap-looking plastic one it has now.2) Including four Whittle People figures instead of the play people that currently come with the Doorbell House.3) A choice of ethnicity for the people.And the play people that came with this? I gave them away, still in their original packaging. They seemed more suitable for a traditional dollhouse than for this Doorbell House.

This toy is always a hit. Kids love earning play time so they can fiddle with the keys and unlock the different doors

Our 3 year old son recently went to the dentist and fell in love with this toy. He plays with it for long periods of time. It's very stimulation and he's able to learn numbers and shapes to correspond with each door! Love that they keys are attached to it so we never will lose them and its small enough that he's able to bring it everywhere.

The recipient loves pushing the doorbells! A well-loved gift.

My 2.5yo son loves this Melissa and Doug Take-A-Long Dollhouse. He loves ringing our front doorbell and he has a toy car where the trunk can be opened with a key that just fixates him, so when I found this toy I was really excited and hopeful that he'd enjoy it.This has quickly become a favorite go to toy. There is one designated key for each of the four doors and they must be placed into the lock facing the proper direction, each key is numbered 1 through 4 matching the corresponding door. Each doorbell has a different shape and sound and the volume is really only loud enough be heard if your right next to the Dollhouse, ie. the one playing with the toy. Which is so nice in comparison to all the large pushbutton, light up, obnoxiously loud toys on market. There are four wooden/cloth dolls that can be placed behind each door or in whatever combination you like.It was difficult for him at first, but once I showed him how to match the number on the key with the number the door he caught right on. He also had bit of trouble realizing the key needed to be facing the proper direction. After the first few attempts with a bit of help he picked right up on it. This toy has made him focus on his finger dexterity and number recognition. Which he picked up on almost instantly, quicker than the months of nursery rhyme number songs. (Which were great for number memorization, but not so much for recognition). This is also a great tool to teach object permanence and so much other open-ended play, ie. When grown-ups leave they come back or don't talk strangers, or always say who's there before answering the front door. He also hides his mini superheroes in the Dollhouse or whatever else wants to lock away at that moment. ( A word of advice, if you can't seem find your car keys, check the dollhouse).I would definitely recommend this toy for any child who has an interest in how things work. My 4yo tried the toy few times, but gets bored with it easily, so it is not for every child.