Provide An Outdoor Playhouse For Your Child

Children are naturally inspired to provide themselves with an outdoor playhouse. Give a group of kids an old refrigerator box and watch as a structure emerges. There is a natural urge to design a personal space to play in. Creative play, social skills, and many imaginative adventures occur in these spaces as children explore a world created at their level. One thing all these structures share in common is the development of a world that is child centered. The height and size of these structures are all designed with a small person in mind. While the rest of the world may be too large and heavy to manipulate, in this area the child has the authority. From this desire a market niche has been invented. Companies have sold children the means to meet that instinctive yearning to have a place of their own to play and met the needs of parents who want a safer, long term solution to their child’s wishes.

When researching outdoor playhouse options, one discovers a wide range of materials, price, durability, and life spans. Some products are more durable and they will last for several generations when proper care is taken. However, their size limits how long a child will actually fit in the structure. Little Tikes makes several versions of the hard plastic houses that are very popular among parents. The versions range from traditional houses to castle fortresses. The prices I saw online ranged from $149.00-$249.00 for these options. My experience has been that these are often the most popular options for parents making purchases. They are durable, can be relocated fairly easily, and do well in resale or for passing on to family and friends. Another positive is that adding one is not a permanent landscaping commitment.

In talking to family and friends who have purchased these plastic structures the reasons given are generally price and convenience. While not an inexpensive purchase, the product line is considered to be durable and does hold resale value. They also mention ability to maneuver the product for landscaping maintenance and the ease of cleaning, as they can be washed down with a hose. For kids who are often playing in dirt and mud, this can be a huge plus. For families concerned about relocating, these are not challenging to move. While many products speak of taking the more permanent structures with one during a move, some parents do opt to leave them behind. Disassembling and reassembling can ultimately be more of a challenge than some parents wish to take on. There is also a risk that the product can become damaged when taken apart or while being reassembled. Some parents just do not wish to take the risk and a beloved toy is lost. The plastic houses while having a limited playing life span do offer a solid choice for the time a child can physically use the toy.

Another option more commonly being advertised to parents are the bounce houses. These combine the traditional space for children with a physical activity to do while in the house. Recently there has been more chatter about these products as there seem to be more versions available. Parents are talking about the benefits of entertaining children at home. The prices seem to start at around $250 and move up from there. I’m sure deals are available with more bargain shopping. Parents I’ve spoken with have listed a couple of reasons for purchasing this option. The first are landscaping and space issues. The house is not a permanent structure. While it is out regularly during the summer, it is not out year round taking up valuable real estate. The house can be set up in the most convenient location for that day, thus allowing more changes to occur in the landscape. The second is they feel this is a way to entice their children to be outside with their friends. Many parents are looking for ways to engage their children in outdoor activities. This is seen as one option for getting kids excited about being outdoors. One caution that was raised is insurance. One should check to see if there are any insurance implications. I have not discovered any, but it is always better to be safe on these issues.

Some parents choose to build an outdoor playhouse for their children. Let us not forget those wonderful tree houses we visited as children. You can find a variety of styles and shapes to meet the needs of the family and the budget. One caution about building larger more permanent structures, check your local town and city bylaws. You never know until you check what bylaws you might run into as you start your project.