What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Eight room doll house with lights and sounds The Bad: Very few accessories are included In a Nutshell: There's lots of room for imagination and adventure in this doll house At a Glance Ages: 3 and up Requires: 3 AA batteries

In certain rooms, children can plug in working accessories like a lamp. View larger.

Kids will love playing with Dora in her big house. View larger.

Children will be greeted with an appropriate saying when opening the fridge. View larger.

When your child pushes down the chimney, an automatic release makes it seem like the house is magically unfolding to great her. This feature works best on smooth, even floors, and we found the plastic locks that hold the house open a little tricky to engage, so you may need to help your child with them.

Before your child starts helping Dora get settled in this welcoming doll house, you'll need to use a Phillips head screwdriver to insert three AA batteries (not included) in the bottom of the house. This powers fun greetings and a working lamp.

An Interactive Space to Share with Imaginative Friends
What really separates the Magical Welcome House from other doll houses is a fun set of interactive features. When a visitor presses the doorbell, a musical greeting from Dora is activated. She might ask, "Ready for an adventure at my house?" Opening the fridge is accompanied by an appropriate saying, too. Children can work these exclamations into their games, making "Snack time!" extra fun. When it's dinnertime, hopefully they'll remember that "Even explorer's need to stop to eat."

There are three "hot spots" in the house, one each in the playroom, living room, and kitchen. These let your child safely plug in special "working" accessories, like the lamp that comes with the house. When the lamp is plugged in, simply press the bottom on its base and it will stay illuminated for a full 30 seconds. Other available accessories include a bilingual stand-up clock and a microwave that talks (not included.)

Overall, our one complaint about this cool house is that it only comes with one sofa, one Dora doll, and one lamp. This means that additional accessories (sold separately) are necessary to fill the house and ensure maximum fun, especially if more than one child wants to play at a time. But this can be easily remedied.

However, the accessories that are included are lots of fun. The Dora doll has soft, rooted hair that offers a tactile element to play time. Her arms and legs swing back and forth, so that she can be positioned sitting or standing in several ways. Although, we were slightly disappointed that she can't turn her head or bend her elbows and knees. Additionally, the locking hinges and the "spring open" action are great features, but we are concerned about their durability over time.

Occasionally, the house sprung open when we wanted it closed, surprising and frustrating us. Since this colorful, interactive doll house is sure to become a favorite toy that will get a lot of use, and its plastic body seems sturdy enough to handle the activity, you might simply want to find a semi-permanent location for it. This will help preserve the action of the moving parts, and it will keep the doll house more easily accessible.

What's in the Box
Dollhouse, Dora figure, sofa, lamp, and instruction booklet.