Dollhouses are a wonderful way for children to explore and act out real life situations. It can be a place for them to act out social situations, imagine different perspectives and personalities and to practice working out social conflicts. They are also great for developing imagination, language skills and fine motor skills.

There are equal benefits to dollhouse play for boys and for girls despite dollhouses largely being targeted towards girls. We love Maileg because they are gender neutral and are compelling for children of all ages (and adults!).

We asked Jen from Little Wrens Nest some questions on how to build up your Maileg dollhouse collection.

As a sole retailer of Maileg, what do you think makes their toys so special?

Wow, where do I start? I’m sure we can all agree that these little animals are so darn cute! I could go on and on about why I believe Maileg toys are so special, but one of the main reasons is their quality. Every item is hand made with the best quality materials and linens. All the little details they include make these animals just that bit more beautiful than other brands. Not only are these items beautiful toys, but they are also collectibles. I have many customers who have been collecting for over 10 years, which means not only are the items adorable and fun, they can also turn out to be a little investment. Which is an exciting prospect.

What advice can you give someone building their collection from scratch, which items would you recommend starting with?

So, starting your collection where does one begin? I suggest to many families, to begin with the little mice and go for the same people in your family. So, perhaps a mum and dad, sister and a baby. From, there your child can role play and relate to the little mice. When it comes to furniture, I would suggest beginning with the most popular played with items from a young age which would be the bed, bath, kitchen, and highchair. Children love to put the little mice to bed and pretend cook and feed them. However, I sell a subscription box which is the perfect way to build up any collection, with the choice of just mice or accessories too! They start from only £20 a month including postage!

There are so many themes, which are your favourites?

What a question! I love it all! Well, my all time favourite would be the circus collection. This is now a retired collection and very sought after. However, Maileg bring out 2 collections every year, one in January and one in July.

The sizing can be quite complicated. Can you please give us an overview of which sized furniture works with which dolls?

Correct, it took me a very long time to get the hang of the sizing. However, I love to mix and match the bigger items with the small and I believe the little mice look adorable next to giant tables etc. however, the MY products are for the mice if you want to keep it looking like the mice fit perfectly with the furniture. The Micro is for the bunnies, teddies and chatons.

You can find more details of sizes in our size guide.

Which accessories are your best sellers?

There isn’t an answer to this I’m afraid. As every single item is loved! With Maileg bringing our new items twice a year too, there’s always a selection and every item has its own place.

Maileg furniture can vary in size a lot – which dollhouses work best with Maileg?

Pretty much any doll house will work with Maileg. The Maileg House of Miniature is designed to fit all animals and both sizes of furniture, but I would advise the larger furniture (micro) for this doll house. The Maileg Castle fits the MY furniture best. We have an old Barbie house which we repainted and that fits all the furniture well! Being a retailer, you end up with too many items. So the Barbie houses are a great option for someone who has a large collection. To sum it up, depending on your budget from the Ikea house shelf to the Kidkraft giant doll house, Maileg will find its place and fit well in all.

Use code LEARNERS12 for 12% off at Little Wrens Nest

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The Magical World of Maileg

There are equal benefits to dollhouse play for boys and for girls despite dollhouses largely being targeted towards girls. We love Maileg because they are gender neutral and are compelling for children of all ages (and adults!).

We asked Jen from Little Wrens Nest some questions on how to build up your Maileg dollhouse collection.

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