Hi there,
I want to say that we got these for my daughter when she had just turned 6 for Christmas--the whole deal. The cottage, the room furniture, families, etc. She asked for them from Santa and her grandmother. She loved it for a little while--maybe a few months. And that's it. The Calico Critter toys are incredibly cute and lots of little pieces and detail, but she just didn't warm up to it. I want to add, too, that my daughter was, and still is, completely into dolls. She loves to play Barbies, Playmobil, American Girl--she just didn't take to the Critters. She's 8 years old now and I plan to get her dolls for Christmas. My advice would be to get a set or two of the Critters if it's on her list, but definitely don't go crazy. I could be wrong, but we learned the hard way!! Good luck!