Playhouse - Little Tykes style

[Hulababy]

When we move house DD (3y3m) is eager to have a play house for the garden. She has laways wanted one, and having only a smallbalcony, never had the chance.

Now our new garden will not be large by any means, so it can't be a big one. And because she is already going to be nearly 3.5yo I don't want to spend a fortune on one, as I know it will have limited life span (although if and when we ever have #2 it may get a scond go). Probably no more than £150-£180.

And we will probably go for a plastic Little Tykes style one, rather than a wooden one too.

So far we have seen two at John Lewis - here at £139 or here at £180 .

There is this one at Argos, for £150. With free picnic table and slide.

B&Q have some online too:
tree house at £150 and here but these seem quite low.

I am sure lots of MNetters must have playhouses around.

So, which playhouse do you recommend?

No one?

We had a plastic Little Tikes one. You can't wrong. They are so sturdy and you don't have to worry about maintaining it as you would a wooden one.
It's a shame you weren't looking for it a few months ago - I sold mine then for £50!!!

The one at argos is small, its also about 90 quid in homebase.

Grr! Mind, we are probably miles away from you anyway. And it'd have had to go in MPILs garden until we ever moved!

I think we will go for a Little Tykes one as they do seem to be more sturdy and better quality that the other plastic ones.

That is what I suspected Charliecat. As she is already going be 3.5y it needs to be reasonably big I guess.

My parents bought DD1 the £139 one for her second birthday two summer?s ago - i am sure it is the same, just different colours (yellow with a green roof and red window frames). It has a little stove inside and a detachable phone. She loves it and so does DD2, particularly the phone. It is tough and durable, washes well and when cleaned up still looks brand new two years later. She also bought it from John Lewis.
The thing that puts me off the ones with sounds and noises is the idea of batteries outside, water getting in, more to go wrong etc. My kids make their own phone ringing sounds and kettle boiling ones so not sure I would justify the expense of buying the £180 one if that is the main difference.

Can?t comment on the others as I haven?t seen them - they look ok from the pictures. agree with you about the BaQ ones looking low.

Good Luck - I am sure that the plastic style will clean the easiest and last the longest xx

I haven't any of those ones shown as dh built dd and ds a wooden one. I would go for the one with the most headroom as my dd is now nearly 5 and still spends alot of time in there. At the moment it is a Restaurant and she has a menu on the window. She makes Granny sit inside (tight squeeze LOL) and 'writes' her order down.

we have a little tikes one at my mums, with the two little windows on the side...currently being used as ashop by dd4 due to start school in september....get one off ebay for buttons then it doesnt matter how long it lasts.

Thanks all. Have a month or so to decide fully,but DD is so excited at the idea of a garden and a playhouse. LOL!

I know you don't really want a wooden one but we inherited a shed with our garden. I've painted it with some of that coloured wood paint, bit of lino and DD is playing in it and she is 6.5, so I think they are something that will last a bit longer. When I get round to it I'm going to get a window box made up and plant some honeysuckle or clematis up the side of it, that way it will actually enhance the garden. The other advantage is because it's got lots of head height there are shelves up high which are great for storing various bits, and then in the winter we can put all the garden furniture in it. When DD and DS are a bit older, I'm going to give it a revamp with large bean bags etc and see if we can get some electricity run into it. The only slight hitch is that it was used to keep ferrets in by the previous owners and despite being intensively cleaned out I get pangs of guilt that my children are playing in a ferret shed (I have got one of the little tikes plastic ones in pieces in the garden but I'm probably not going to bother with it for DS as he loves the ferret shed.

Oh yes...in my garden we have the shed which is lovingly used to have rainy day picnics and spy camps and all manner of things and the kids and quite a few kids squeeze in there leaving us mums in peace to drink coffee Get a shed!

I love the wooden ones, but they are so much larger . And our garden is not going to be very big at all. Plus I am terrified of spiders - so would never go in it. My sister had one when little and I hated it, At least a plastic one I can blast with a hose pipe.

Hey hula did you know you have one something...check out the home page...

Yes I saw - sun pack. It looks fab

It does make up for winning Barney tickets last time though!

the one from john lewis for £139 would probably be the most suitable. i brought that one for my ds2 last summer (hes 3 now) and ds1(8) can still play in it with his brother when they are using it as a star wars base.
i'm sure that when i was looking at them the £180 was actually smaller just had more features.

little tikes one always sell second hand too!

vickiyumyum - think you are right. That was top of our list anyway. Have seen it in the shop. DD has tested it out every time we've been int here It is nice and sturdy looking.

Have you seen that toys r us have a country play house which is reduced to £49.99 from £100?!
It is on the toys r us website.

Will have a look; thanks

the toys r us one thats 49.99 is the one my kids have at their nanas and ds2 (3) is already too tall for it! which is a shame as it is lovely.