Outdoor play houses

[LaughOutLoud]

I did want to get DD a trampoline but got scared about injuries so have thought of getting a play house outside. However she will be 5 this year and dont know how long this will last?

Is it a good idea to get a wooden one which are a bit like tree houses and off the floor or may be one of those plastic ones?

I do like this smoby one as its got an upstairs to it......https://www.toysrus.co.uk//medias/sys_master/h29/h1c/8817804083230.jpg

Just wasnt sure if its suitable for a 5 yr old and how long such things last?

 

[Natasha2605]

We got a plastic one and it lasted two years before the wind snapped it. But it only cot £100 or thereabouts.

I'd recommend a wooden one We' have gone for that but I begrudge paying out for one when this is just a rented home. Knowing my luck, I'd spend £300 on one and the landlords would want us out a month later!

 

[LaughOutLoud]

We got a plastic one and it lasted two years before the wind snapped it. But it only cot £100 or thereabouts.

I'd recommend a wooden one We' have gone for that but I begrudge paying out for one when this is just a rented home. Knowing my luck, I'd spend £300 on one and the landlords would want us out a month later!

Thanks for your reply hun. I know what you mean about having to fork out and then moving, it'd be a pain. I really want to move to a grassy garden than our concrete one but DH is stuck in his ways. I was thinking the plastic ones I have seen do look a bit vulnerable to uk weathers, they just look more colourful and attractive dont they?!

 

[aimee-lou]

Tesco have a plastic one in at the moment (at least mine does) for £75. It's 6 panels that fold up so could be put away for the winter months. I'm tempted to get it for the boys.


https://www.tesco.com/direct/keter-holiday-playhouse-yellow/215-8396.prd?skuId=215-8396

 

[LaughOutLoud]

Tesco have a plastic one in at the moment (at least mine does) for £75. It's 6 panels that fold up so could be put away for the winter months. I'm tempted to get it for the boys.


https://www.tesco.com/direct/keter-holiday-playhouse-yellow/215-8396.prd?skuId=215-8396

Hey hun. Thanks for the link...love the price

 

[seoj]

Four outdoors- I'd recommend wood. You can get ones with slides and swings and a playhouse area- so it's something that could certainly grow with your child... we have a plastic one we use in her playroom- it's great for her age... but tbh, I can't imagine her really playing in it much as she get's older? But ya never know... it's one my SD had as a child and my in-laws stored it for years (since the girls are 14yrs apart) and it still works perfect!

 

[Red Rose]

I'd say wood too

LO has a plastic one which we keep in the conservatory. I think the wooden ones look beautiful and would last a lot longer if maintained correctly. I think usually plastic houses fade over time.

I've seen the Smoby one in Toys R Us though and it looks brilliant!

 

[kwood]

Tesco have a plastic one in at the moment (at least mine does) for £75. It's 6 panels that fold up so could be put away for the winter months. I'm tempted to get it for the boys.


https://www.tesco.com/direct/keter-holiday-playhouse-yellow/215-8396.prd?skuId=215-8396

Hey hun. Thanks for the link...love the price

If you are looking for the Tesco one I would check in store because it is only 45 at our local store.

 

[shanny]

We have a wooden one with a slide - and my 8/6/4 use it a lot and it is somehwhere for all the kitchen toys etc to go!! Think they will use it as a hideaway as they get older with cushions etc.

It does 'blend into' the garden a it more than our other plastic things.

 

[Moomette]

I think for a five-year-old I'd go with a wooden one if you can afford a nice biggish one with a floor and proper windows as growing up my neighbours had one like that and we played in it until we were at least 12 or so. Although saying that, we've got a Step2 plastic one ourselves that we bough second hand in September and it is really sturdy and perfectly adequate, but will probably be too small for DD1 in a few years.

The trampoline has been our best outdoor toy though (we got a 12ft one for DD1 when she was 15 months) and gets used every day, so I'd definitely recommend a tramp as well as it is great fun and I'm sure will be used for many years to come.

 

[the why bird]

Wooden ones, particularly the ones that are somewhat waterproof (with plastic windows and felt roofs) make great dens and hideouts when she's a bit bigger and can be played with in the rain. But they do tend to be bigger and more expensive - and you probably want to go for big-ish to make it last.

But if you were looking into plastic ones, I'd suggest looking on ebay, you can get some for a fraction of the price there. You can actually spruce them up with painting because the faded colours are a bit depressing. If you google something like 'plastic playhouse makeover' you will see people who have done it and they look really smart.

 

[Rachel_C]

I'd get a wooden one, the plastic ones can look awful after a while outside and you're stuck with the colours it comes in. With wood, if you look after it it'll look nice for years and you can repaint in whatever colours you fancy.

If you get a decent size one, it will be good for kids for years. We used to use 'play houses' as somewhere to go and hang out when we were in our early teens. You just take out the play kitchen and put in some bean bags or an old sofa

If you really wanted it to last, you could get a normal summer house instead of a play house - we used to play in the summer house my parents had but it was nice to sit out in as adults too.

 

[Natasha2605]

This is quite cute, and down to £149.99 :

https://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us...tnut-Wooden-Cottage(0103561)?searchPosition=6

I'm really unsure whether or not to replace ours. They didn't use the last one but I think they could be at a better age for it now!

 

[binxyboo]

we have this wooden one.

We got it from here
https://www.playhousesworld.co.uk/

 

[LaughOutLoud]

we have this wooden one.

We got it from here
https://www.playhousesworld.co.uk/

Wow, thanks for the link. Its got some beautiful wooden play houses there! Im in love.....I promise this is for DD. I think I might just go for a wooden one as she is nearly 5 and thinking long term it will last her much longer. I am afraid we may be a bit late for the plastic ones but now she has told me she wants an upstairs in it and the website has got some lovely ones

 

[RachA]

We have a wooden one and I much prefer it to a plastic one. We got it second hand off eBay so got a bargain really. It has an upstairs area which DS usually manages to convience my oh to sleep in with him once a year lol! We store all their outside toys in it which makes things a lot easier. I can certainly see my two using it in some way for years to come.

 

[jenny82]

Do your kids play in the playhouse? I had very very briefly considered one but realised that of everyone we knew who had one, their kids played with it for about a week then got bored of it, so I decided against it :/ We have a kid's gazebo instead that I got in B&M last year for £15 and it gets tonnes of use in good weather. We used it all last summer and it will do us this summer as well!

 

[supertabby]

Our next door neighbours have just gotten rid of their plastic playhouse, their DD is 6 and they told me she's outgrown it (though I think as a kid I would've enjoyed them at an older age myself). They still have a wooden treehouse style one, no idea if she plays in it much as I haven't asked and we moved here during winter so not really seen kids out playing much.

I personally like the wooden ones as I think they look nicer and you can repaint them easily. They're relatively weatherproof too so they can play in it in the rain. They're very expensive though from what I've seen - our local garden centre charges about £2000 for a nice wooden playhouse - although I know internet deals would be cheaper. I can imagine teenages using it as a hang out away from parents too - although wood does burn if you leave a lit cigarette in there........