Children’s Wooden Playhouse buying guide

Copyright (c) 2010 Filton Kingswood

This article is designed to guide buyers through the process of purchasing a children’s playhouse. A children’s playhouse might be one the best investments you ever make and this article looks at the different ways a playhouse can be used. It considers what factors need to be considered during the buying process such as usage, style and versatility.

A children’s playhouse might be one the best investments you ever make as it encourages make-believe play. Your child can turn a wooden playhouse into a home, a school, a garage, a space station or a castle – the possibilities are endless. With imaginative play, your child is in control of their own surroundings which is a great way to build self esteem, as well as keeping them occupied. A children’s playhouse is a safe place for children to grow, discover and to play.

When you hear ‘playhouse’ you may imagine the converted garden shed that your dad let you play in as a child. Well things have come a long way since then and there are a wide range of playhouses on the market in the UK today. So how do you go about finding a playhouse that’s right for your family?

Of course the safety of your child is on paramount importance. There are two main things to look for when buying a playhouse to ensure your child remains safe. The first factor is study construction as this will prevent the playhouse from collapsing on your child or causing injury from broken components. The second factor is safe fittings to ensure that any doors will not trap little fingers or that there are railings preventing children from falling off any raised surfaces. This leads onto the quality factor ‘ you generally get what you pay for and it’s no different when looking to buy a children’s playhouse.

This leads onto the quality factor – you generally get what you pay for and it’s no different when looking to buy a children’s playhouse. First of all, consider how the playhouse will be used. Children have relatively short attention spans so you need to determine how versatile the playhouse is. Can it be used for a variety of different scenarios i.e. turned from a princess palace one day into a garage the next? Can it be used by more than one family member by meeting the needs of both the younger children as a playroom or the older ones as a den? You should be looking to make a long-term investment when looking to buy a children’s playhouse – it should meet your child’s future needs as well as their current ones. It is therefore often a better investment to buy a simple, well made playhouse than a cheaper, more elaborate one which may limit how it will be used.

There are many styles of playhouse available to buy. There are the more traditional ground-level playhouses which tend to consist of four wooden walls and an apex roof. There are also the tree-house style playhouses which are typically either manufactured for placement in a large tree and accessed by a rope ladder, or are simply platform-based and accessed by a few steps. Obviously these tend to have floors as well as walls.

Playhouse styles vary greatly. Georgian windows and full length ledged and brace doors from simple cut-out holes to fully glazed playhouses. Some have traditional doors, whilst others have stable style doors, or even roll up doors to save space or encourage alternative uses for the playhouse. Some playhouses even come with verandas and large roof overhangs. The styles vary greatly but the prices are not out of reach and a great investment.

What colour playhouse you think your child or grandchild is a factor to take into consideration. Most houses are wooden and pre treated but you can get fully painted playhouse. There are many finishes for the children’s playhouse too. You can choose treated wood to protect the playhouse from the elements and/or a painted finish. Painted styles can be just one or two colours or very bright, highly detailed finishes. Worth thinking about before you buy

Choose a style and check the size carefully. With playhouses its definitely a case of you get what you pay for. Some playhouses are tiny even for the little ones. Whatever style of playhouse you decide to purchase, you’ll be happy in the knowledge that it’s helping your child develop while they’ve having fun. So choose carefully and have a good luck at the size of playhouse.