Folding Medieval Castle

Product: Folding Medieval Castle
Company: Melissa & Doug
Website: www.melissaanddoug.com
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 6 years
Price Range: $50-$100
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Comments: Older preschoolers seems to love tiny people. Call them dolls if you like, or action figures, or figurines. It doesn’t really matter. While toddlers and young preschoolers are into “lifesize” play where they act out events that they witness in real life (cooking dinner, going to the doctor, etc.), around the age of 4, kids start wanting to be the master of their own imaginary miniature universe. They want to control not only their own actions, but the actions of several characters in some crazy production that takes place mainly in their head. I remember doing this as a child, but honestly, I’ve forgotten how. While it feels awkward for me now, I love watching my son lose himself in his own small-scale fantasy world. Play of this type is made better with a setting, in my opinion. Really any setting would do. A dollhouse, a cardboard box, it doesn’t matter. However, I really like this gender-neutral wooden castle, and my son does too. It isn’t the most general of settings, but it’s flexible in function and with a drawbridge, dungeon, and trap door, it’s fun as well.

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