I am sure most of us can think back to our childhood and remember using the boxes that the appliances came in as like a “fort” or play house. Bring in some crayons and markers to decorate and you had yourself a decked out play area!
Well, we’ve come a long way since then. Play houses are ideally made out of wood for the maximum return on investment, and can be easily customized to your little one’s preferences. It’s so easy to add a little touch to a play house and have it go a long way. So let’s cover some of the basics your child’s play house should have:
- A theme. Nothing will make the play house seem more like their own than decorating it to how they want it. Sure, it might stand out like a sore thumb in your yard but that’s not as important as creating some awesome, lifelong memories for your child.
- Decorations: If he wants a space ship theme or she is into Barbie, go wild with some decals, appropriate colors, and other decorations. What to do if you have 2 or more kids who will be sharing the play house? Well, the best I can do there is wish you luck!
- Personal touches. Make it seem like a real house with play cell phones, mini furniture, play kitchen, or if you have a son who is into cars, make it like a mechanic’s garage in there with some play cars and tools. Check out these tips from other moms
- Waterproof/Bug-proof storage: Your kid needs to hide his candy stash. It just makes them feel special to have something to put it in to keep it fresh. Or a storage container is a great place to store her dress up clothes. You know they’re going to take out some “valuables” out there, might as well be prepared to keep them safe and clean.
- A little landscaping: Mulch works beautifully around a play house, as does perennial flowers and even bird feeders, wind chimes, and things like a thermometer really give kids a kick. Of course if you went with a spaceship theme, perhaps a “telescope”, real or made from PVC pipe, is a better way to go. The point is to decorate the outside as well as the inside of the play house.
Now if you want to REALLY maximize that return on investment I mentioned above….buy a play house that converts into a shed for when your children are grown, such as this one by Heartland called the “Cobblestone Cottage“. A wood play house is estimated to last about 40 years….might as well convert it into YOUR playhouse when it’s your turn!
