What bothers me more is the proliferation of “green” products for us to buy and consume. I generally like Plan Toys and some of their products are favorites in our household. But if we’re going to make progress saving our planet, we need to realize that this will not come about as a result of our buying and consuming “green” inspired products. It will only come about once we start buying and consuming less. Do we really want to teach our kids “green” lesson? Then we should not buy them any dollhouse at all or look for a used or hand-me-down dollhouse. A real “green” dollhouse is the one you inherit from a friend, neighbor or relative. There is nothing green about buying a brand new dollhouse (no matter how much bamboo and non-toxic paint it includes) and shipping it across the world.

I agree that more normal-looking houses would appeal more to most kids. But, I also really like the treehouse-style dollhouses, especially for boys, who have a higher probability of rejecting a traditional dollhouse once the bizarre peer pressures of elementary school begin. I expect they’ll continue to enjoy playing with a thinly disguised dollhouse for many years when it’s called a “playset” with “action figures;” my little brother was easy enough to fool with our Star Wars toys. I can’t imagine many school-age boys playing with hipster chalets though, at least not before they become suave, turtleneck-wearing architects in their late 20s.