Where do all the COOL GIRLS shop? Why, at theMy Scene City Scenes – Boutique of course!

Skye received this play-set as a Christmas gift … and I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoys playing with it … and that for almost a month (okay … 2 weeks …) now we’ve managed to keep almost all of the little pieces picked up and put away after each play session! Seriously, I know this may sound silly to some people … especially those who haven’t had the pleasure of stepping on a Barbie shoe or tiny perfume bottle or something similar in the dark at 2:30 in the morning on their way to the bathroom … but trust me, for moms of young Barbie fans a box loaded with dreaded tinies is a mom’s nightmare! Yet a 6 year old’s squeal of delight is most likely enough to make us temporarily block the tinies from our mind as we dutifully help assemble the other pieces of the set.

The My Scene City Scenes – Boutique is specifically designed for imaginative play with the My Scene line of Barbie dolls. For anyone not familiar with the ‘My Scene’ line, they are the trendy, fairly new, addition to Mattel’s Barbie line … created to compete with the Bratz dolls and the rash of other big-headed doe-eyed teen dolls on the market. Much younger, cooler, and hipper than regular ole Barbies … at least that’s the theory … Skye loves all Barbies almost unconditionally. And happily, the Boutique welcomes all shoppers without partiality. Street smart Madison and Chelsea shop right alongside rocker chicks, Jam’nGlam Barbie and Teresa while perky and preppy Stroll’nPlay Barbie gently rocks twins Krissy and Lonica in their stroller as she browses the accessories near the register. Of course there is a bit of whispering as Wash’nWear Barbie slips in wearing an outfit that is soooo last season!

What comes with the My Scene City Scenes – Boutique?

Two large display pieces for purses, perfume bottles and other accessories – one looks like an armoire while the other is more of a high boy styled chest of drawers with an open hutch area. The drawers on these pieces are decorative only and unfortunately do not open.

An ornately designed free standing clothing rack with three luxury hangers – The rack must be assembled but it’s not terribly difficult to do and stays together well after is is assembled. The hangers are molded to look like padded hanger. Of course it would be nice if the set had included more hangers, but these can sometimes be found separately … and most Barbie fanatics will probably have some they can add from other play-sets. There is a small shelf at the bottom of the rack which can hold shoes or other accessories.

An antique style dress form or mannequin – perfect for displaying the hottest outfit of the day.

A ‘poufy’ oversized ottoman perfect for sitting on to chat or while trying on shoes. A cash register and mirror – the cash register does not open or make noise … the mirror actually swivels on its stand and has a reflective surface. A small vanity tray. Multiple small bottles and jars to simulate perfume, cosmetics or skin care products. Several cuff style bracelets and/or other jewelry items. One pair of ‘My Scene’ chunky styled shoes. Three purses or shoulder bags. Several brightly colored heavy paper or lightweight cardboard shopping bags and boxes.

Assembly Required?!?!?

Yep … but nothing too difficult or time consuming. I’d say 5-10 minutes from opening the box to fully assembled. You have to put the legs on some of the furniture pieces, snap the cardboard backing onto the armoire, and fold the boxes and bags but that’s about all. The only slowdown we encountered was figuring out which direction the shelf at the bottom of the clothing rack needed to be facing to fit on correctly. We also added clear tape to all the seams on the shopping bags to help make them last a bit longer.

Is it fun?

Absolutely! I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised at how much fun Skye seems to have with this play-set. She sets the whole thing up and creates a nice little boutique and then gathers several different Barbies and creates entire stories and scenarios. She often does this in our kitchen floor or at the table since the furniture items stand up better on a hard surface than on carpeting. I enjoy listening to her dialog while I cook or clean. Far from being a mindless distraction, this play-set seems to provide a catalyst that sparks her imagination and leads to some very creative thinking and storytelling.

But what about all those tinies?

Yet another pleasant surprise! Skye has kept almost every single item in this set picked up and put away! (I did find one small perfume bottle between our sofa cushions once.) We added a ziplock to hold all the small items and as soon as she finishes playing with the set she puts the perfume bottles, jewelry, clothes hangers, etc. into the ziplock. The furniture pieces fit right back inside the original box without being disassembled! They need to be placed into the box in a certain order and fit together like a puzzle, but after I helped her a couple of times, Skye learned how to make them all fit without having to ask for help. So I’d say, keep the box, add a ziplock and with only a bit of ‘reminding’ needed, your child can enjoy this play-set and you can dismiss your initial visions of tinies overtaking your home.

One precaution -

The small parts of this set could easily be swallowed by a young child, toddler or baby. They are so tiny that I doubt they would actually cause a choking hazzard, but rather they'd go right on down. Yet I'd still consider them to be a safety issue. They are definitely something you'd want to keep out of the reach of younger siblings or visitors.

Final thoughts …

The My Scene City Scenes – Boutique is a hit with Skye and all her Barbies! I’m happy she received it as a Christmas gift and has enjoyed it so much in the past couple of weeks. It looks like she’ll continue to enjoy it for quite a while!


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 12 (gift)
Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years