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Original poster

to want to get the kids a playhouse in the garden...

26 replies

Mogandmeg · 28/03/2010 17:07

Recently moved house and have a little back garden that we are in the process of re-turfing and getting a little patio done. Doing all we can as cheap as possible the word here is budget! However I think it would be worth getting a little wooden playhouse for the garden but my husband is convinced it'll be one of those things that they'll love for a bit then never bother with when novelty wears off. I think they will love it especially our dd who is 3 in June (ds is 7). Anyone give me any thoughts please (hopefully to convince dh to part with some cash!
Thanks.

OP posts:
helyg · 28/03/2010 17:10

My son's Godparents bought him one when he was 2. He is now 7, and he and his two younger siblings still use it.

So it was definitely a worthwhile purchase!

dizzydixies · 28/03/2010 17:11

all 3 of mine love theirs and its great for storing stuff in during winter - we don't have a lot of room either

happywheezer · 28/03/2010 17:11

Yes That's a lovely idea. Take them into a toy shop with soome in and see if they like it.
Bargaincrazy has some nice little tykes ones for much cheapness at the moment.

CarGirl · 28/03/2010 17:13

I would buy a shed with some windows in it and let them use it as a playhouse once they are too old for it use it as a shed instead!

PixieOnaLeaf · 28/03/2010 17:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

bruffin · 28/03/2010 17:17

I always wanted to get one for DCs when they were little, but never got round to it and the are 12 and 14 now.

We did have a lot of pop up tents which they loved and got a lot of use.

borderslass · 28/03/2010 17:18

what cargirl said we did the opposite and converted our shed when dd2 was little she was a real girly girl and had all the baby stuff and kitchens etc we put a carpet down and hung curtains up job done now shes older its back to a shed.

NorbertDentressangle · 28/03/2010 17:19

My two (aged 5 and 10) together with a friend have been outside cleaning, tidying, re-arranging and playing in their playhouse all day.

They even had lunch in it.

It will be used every day in the nice weather -as a school, nursery, shop, cafe, house etc

Worth every penny!

OhFuck · 28/03/2010 17:29

DS has one (my dad made it for him) - it's curtained and carpeted but it's been great for storing his bike/toy lawnmower/digger collection/buckets/spades/trowels etc over the winter. And fab for playing in in summer.

If your DP is handy he might be able to make one cheaply from a few sheets of MDF and a bit of plywood with felt nailed onto it

sweetnitanitro · 28/03/2010 17:29

I'm on a budget too, this year I'm going to make a teepee for DD using some leylandii branches that my mum cut down and some calico. It won't be waterproof so I'll have to roll it up when it rains (although it won't kill it to get a bit wet) but it'll cost me next to nothing. There are loads of sites with instructions if you google.

pointydog · 28/03/2010 17:41

we bought one for dd1's 6th birthday. They used it lots, their friends liked it too. It wasn't that expensive. When the dds were 11 and 9, they painted it inside, put down a piece of left-over lino and turned it into a little beauty parlour. They sat in it with friends an dpainted nails even though they had to squash up to even fit inside.

It's been good.

jabberwocky · 28/03/2010 17:44

We built a treehouse for our boys (age 6 and 3) for Christmas. They love it and and I think will use it for some time.

pointydog · 28/03/2010 17:48

not many small gardens have a treehousey tree in them

NorbertDentressangle · 28/03/2010 18:13

DS has a friend with the coolest treehouse ever!

It was built by his grandfather. It has a proper wooden ladder going up to it, windows on 3 sides, fully-functional door with letterbox, outdoor platform area as well as enclosed 'house' bit. Every childs dream.

I'd love a tree that we could build one in but ours are too small and the only big tree we had has recently been chopped down.

The DCs will have to make do with their playhouse.

jabberwocky · 28/03/2010 18:32

Ours is a lot like that. It's got a slide on it that gets a lot of action. Dh just built it around a big tree so even if you don't have a large tree you could do the same and leave room for the tree to get bigger. So kids and tree both have growing space

dolphin13 · 28/03/2010 18:49

Mine are 12, 9, 6, 4 and 2. All 5 of them have spent the whole day in our playhouse. Its got a play cooker, table, chair lots of plastic food.

They have made menus on the computor which dh bound and laminated. So they run a restaurant or today it is a nursery.

They love it. In fact we are just looking for a larger playhouse.

Get one, money well spent imo.

CirrhosisByTheSea · 28/03/2010 18:50

I totally agree with the shed idea; make it a playhouse till they don't use it any more, then it's a useful shed instead of a redundant item you've got to dispose of.

Ellokitty · 28/03/2010 21:12

We have a playhouse in our back garden. Biggest waste of money. Neither DD plays with it particularly, although we can never get them off the trampoline. I think it is possibly because DD1 is not particularly girly. She is not hugely into dolls or playing houses, so she's never bothered by it. I had thought DD2 would have liked it, but as Dd1 isn't interested, she doesn't bother either. I wouldn't buy one again.

I think the compromise of a shed is a good compromise - so if they don't use it, turn it into a shed and you've not lost any money.

TiggyD · 28/03/2010 21:45

Get a playhouse. When they get older put it on legs to make a treehouse.

I want a treehouse for myself. Kids have all the fun.

oldraver · 28/03/2010 21:52

DS has a little plastic playhouse (probably the cheapest one available from ToysRus) and he loves it and will spend ages out there. I do wish I could of afforded a bigger wood/shed type one

PatTheHammer · 28/03/2010 21:52

I want one too (for the DC's,not for me)just out of interest, where have you been looking??

The cheapest I can find is about £500 (with it erected and everything......DH an absolute DIY nightmare) for a two-storey (this is what they would LOVE and my DD plays in all the time at a friends house). I cannot justify this so if I can't find cheaper I think a nice single-storey one or converting the shed it is for me..........

moominmarvellous · 28/03/2010 23:08

DH built DD an amazing playshed with a slide on it last summer - she loves it!

I've also put bigger toys in there that we haven't really got space for like the little plastic kitchen thing and someone bought her a little armchair - it's quite handy as they can still play with them but they aren't cluttering up the house.

We have lunch in there most days in the summer and use it to store the garden toys in through the winter. If it wasn't right at the end of our garden where I can't see it from the house, I'm sure she'd play in it even in winter to be honest.

As children my mum let us take the run of a small garden shed which we painted ourselves inside and furnished with bits and bobs we could pinch from indoors - we used to run down there when it rained because it sounded so nice on the roof! We used it in fits and starts over the years. She now just has it as a garden shed.

See if he will go for it, it makes for some lovely memories.

katiepotatie · 28/03/2010 23:09

Our dd is 3 on Saturday, and asked for a tree house, we have no trees in our garden so we have ordered a playhouse on stilts with a slide. I can't wait to see her face! That's if daddy can build it in time, bloody thing has been delayed till Friday dellivery

outnumbered2to1 · 28/03/2010 23:28

we moved into this house two years ago and our garden is a fair size. I also thought about a wooden playhouse for the kids but realised that a proper shed with windows would be a better idea.

The boys call it the "huddle hut" and it is a much loved "playroom" for them and a few others kids in the neighbourhood. I helped them "decorate" the inside with hand prints and feet prints and we painted their names on the door. They have a couple of folding chairs and some toys in there and they love it.

(Meanwhile my lawnmower and garden furniture have taken up residence in my utility room)

ChippingIn · 29/03/2010 00:08

Can you fit/afford 2 or an upstairs/downstairs layout?? I can see 'territory' disputes between the 2 kids!! DD wanting her 'little house' and DS wanting his 'Den'!!

The LO's (both girls) love theirs and in the summer half their toys end up out there - in the winter we pretty much empty it out and just leave the table & chairs, a few plastic toys (picnic set/fake food etc) and some crayons/paper etc out there and it gets quite muddy from them running in and out, but it gets a 'spring clean/makeover' and it's good again.

Ours is a really cute, mezzanie floored, chalet - but it was here when we moved in. If I was going to buy a new one, especially for a 3yoDD and 7yoDS, if I had the money I'd get a wooden climbing frame type thing with 2 spaces for 'inside play' depending on space & money of couse - if I didn't have a lot of money to spend on it - the biggest, garden shed with windows I could afford.