A stove, a hot iron, a carpet beater, a doll, a doll’s bed and a doll house. Playthings for playing house are often grown-ups’ things in miniature size. Before there were specialized toy manufacturers in Finland, miniature utensils were made in “real” factories: the Högfors ironworks made doll’s stoves, the Arabia porcelain factory made miniature tableware and the Heteka steel bed company made doll prams. Playing house is easy without household utensils as well – all you need is the residents, and the play may begin!

Although playing house is a child's free imaginative play, it also involves learning chores and family roles. Caring for a doll is to explore responsibility: “I care for this baby doll as I have been cared for”. By mimicking grown-ups, a child can explore oneself in relation to different roles and the effects of one’s own actions. By playing house, a child can rule the imaginary world and make all the family decisions from bedtimes to interior design.