A Guide to Buying A Playhouse for Your Kids
Playing outdoors in your own fort, mud kitchen or playhouse will never go out of fashion as kids love to have their own shop, to play house, to open their McDonalds and all sorts of different variations.
View our Playhouses here
Please see below our quick guide on how to buy the best playhouse for your kids this year.
What Are The Benefits of Playhouses for Kids?
The benefits of playhouses for children are many as we will attempt to list below:
1. Develops Social Skills
Playing with friends or siblings in a playhouse develops essential social skills that will be necessary in later life, including taking turns, sharing, negotiating and co-operating whether with an older or younger child.
Engaging in play games requires flexibility and this will stand your kids in good stead.
2. Enhances Creativity & Imagination
When playing games with their friends our kids are normally very relaxed as their imaginations run wild and they go with the flow of the game, of the roleplay.
Their creativity will be sparked and both their brains and their bodies will get a good workout.
3. Healthy Outdoor Play
We all know just how attention-sapping that our kids phones and tablets can be, and investing in a fun outdoor playhouse can be the perfect remedy to too much time spent on their screens.
Playing outdoors also builds resilience in your kids.
4. Promotes Better Sleep
As we all know getting exercise and being active is one of the best ways to burn up your energy, to get tired and then in turn to sleep well.
When our kids are playing computer games to 11.30pm at night this is usually not the perfect recipe for a good nights sleep.
5. Gives Your Children A Sense of Pride & Ownership
This will be their own private place, somewhere that they can put their toys and it will be their to look after and to be in charge of.
6. Tremendous Fun & Huge Wow Factor
For many children owning their own playhouse can be like a dream come true, and as the generous parent it will make you extremely popular - for a little while at least.
Factors to Consider When Buying an Outdoor Playhouse
1. Location, Location, Location - Best Places to Put Your Kids Playhouse
The best places to put your child's playhouse are as follows -
(a) LEVEL GROUND
the best locations for kids playhouses will be on level ground so that the house sits on a level on the ground and won't slide or tips over and will be safe to use.
(b) CLOSE TO YOUR HOUSE
to allow you to easily supervise your children when they are playing outside it is usually a good idea that the playhouse is positioned close to your house, and perhaps not out of view or a the bottom of a long garden.
(c) NOT TOO CLOSE TO THE ROAD
For obvious reasons we would recommend not installing the playhouse too close to the road.
(d) ALLOW ADEQUATE SPACE AROUND THE PLAYHOUSE
the children will want to play outside and around the playhouse so its important to allow some space around the playhouse for them to enjoy the outside as much as the inside.
Which Type of Material Will Be Best - Wood or Plastic?
| Type of Playhouse | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Wooden |
wood is a tough and durable surface painting the shed every few years can be a fantastic project for the kids hard-wearing and weather-resistant look great lasts longer than plastic |
can be a more expensive option will require some maintenance |
| Plastic |
wide range of colours easy to clean |
perhaps not quite as strong or as durable as wooden alternatives |
Type of roof - Playhouses
You will want the playhouse to last at least few years so its important that the roof of your playhouse will allow your kids a few years to grow before they become too big for it.
Will The Playhouse Be Watertight?
Living in a country like Ireland where it rains quite a lot this is an extremely important question. And the answer to that question is that yes that the playhouses sold by Trampolines Ireland will be waterproof.
Styles of Roof for Your Kids Playhouse Include
- Pent
- Apex roof
- Dorner
- Dutch-barn
Playhouses Shape and sizes
We're pleased to offer a very wide range of playhouse sizes from small playhouses suitable for one or two children, to much larger playhouses, even outdoor classrooms, suitable for lots of kids.
Playhouses Styles & Accessories
Playhouses come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Bigger will probably be better if you want your playhouse to be played in for many years to come.
Popular playhouse styles and add-ons include:
- Playhouse Tower - playhouse with steps up to platform,
- Traditional Ground Level Playhouse
- Two-storey Playhouse
- Loft Playhouse
- Playhouse with Swings & Slides
Optional Extras Available with Your Playhouse
- windows and shutters,
- balcony,
- monkey bars,
- rope bridge,
- cargo net/ climbing net,
- rock climbing wall,
- sandpit,
- veranda and much more.
High-Quality Construction
Buy a playhouse of the highest quality, and it’ll last for many years. Always try to find the best quality playhouse for your budget.
How Long Will A Playhouse Last?
Most playhouses, whether woden or plastic will last for a very long time, and will be more than likely to last for much longer that the childhood of your children.
Just ensure that the playhouse isn't misused or abused and it should be there for many years to come.
Wood should be treated and have an extended anti-rot guarantee. Other features include tongue-and-groove cladding, double-framed corners, sturdy floor joists, solid roof, and floor.
A plastic playhouse should come with UV-protection. It should also be sturdy.
Playhouse Safety features
Safety is of critical importance. You want your kids to be safe when playing in their playhouse. Consider safety features such as:
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Non-slip ladders
-
Shatterproof windows
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Safety hinges on the doors
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Smooth and planed timber to prevent splinters
Now you’ve got all the essential information, you can make a more informed decision about your choice of an outdoor playhouse.
For all questions please phone 01 960 1641.