Kids Playhouse

whiteside

Does anyone have any tips re if these are worth the money.

I'm talking the wooden ones here as opposed to the plastic ones from toy shops. The wooden ones seem very expensive. About 400 quid for a small one we saw yesterday and I just don't know if it would b worth it. I have 2 wee girls aged 6 and 4 and just not sure how much time they would spend in a very small playhouse before getting bored.

Wondering if maybe just getting a canvas gazebo from argos would be better as it would be a lot bigger.

Any thought/ideas would be appreciated.

Cheers

niaud

I have just bought this wooden one from Argos:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3683682.htm

It's reduced down to £139.99, so a lot cheaper than those ones you were looking at!

Can't say what it is like yet though as it is still in its boxes (comes in two parts) - but I'm hoping to get it built up very soon.

I decided I wanted a wooden one as the plastic ones can be quite expensive and eventually fade with the sun. At least with a wooden one we can paint it each year if need be.

Seanita

I got a wooden one for my daughter for her 2nd birthday in March 2012 from Ahead in Sheds in Lisburn. It was expensive at £900. but I designed it to be on stilts so it has a house, veranda, steps up one side and a slide down the other so its a wee big more than a play house. Its 8x6 and in the centre tall enough for me at 5'9 to stand up in. The quality is great and they came out and cemented it all in. I'm figuring its going to last her for years ( as long as I obviously look after the wood) as being so big it can be a den when she hits her early teens. My sister got a plastic one last summer and to be honest its done already the door having already come off. I'd defineltly recommend a wooden one. My daughter is never out of hers.

gravitytolls

If you could find a dirt cheap or free plastic one on freegle or ebay, you'd soon find out how much she liked it or if the novelty wore off quickly ~ or even a tent big enough to stand up in.

Anyhoo, then if she uses it, you can figure the project is worth the expense.

We always used an old frame tent, very roomy, kids played for hours in it, warm even if the weather was a little fresh, and we could pack it away for winter.

BOBS

We bought an argos value tent at £10 - kids love it and do everything from play to having picnics in it .... definitely got my moneys worth (oh and I am a childminder !! )

SailorSam

Seanita wrote: »

but I designed it to be on stilts so it has a house, veranda, steps up one side and a slide down the other

Before doing anything like that you need to check it out with your local Council. There was a story in our local free paper a few weeks ago about a man who had made a sort of tree house (but without the tree) about 2m tall for his kids. One of his neighbours complained to the Council and 'cos he didn't have planning permission he'd been told to take it down. There was an update on the story in this weeks free paper, he was trying to come to some sort of compromise with the Council.

Seanita

SailorSam wrote: »

Before doing anything like that you need to check it out with your local Council. There was a story in our local free paper a few weeks ago about a man who had made a sort of tree house (but without the tree) about 2m tall for his kids. One of his neighbours complained to the Council and 'cos he didn't have planning permission he'd been told to take it down. There was an update on the story in this weeks free paper, he was trying to come to some sort of compromise with the Council.

Yes I checked with the council as mum had suggested that could be an issue with floor being 8x6 but there were no issues. Been there a year and a half now and no ones given it anything but compliments. I'll have to have a wee look see if I can find it online