Backyard Playhouse

A backyard playhouse is a place where children can let their imagination run riot, play and be like kids of yesteryears. And this backyard playhouse can have a slide, a swing; pose as a private club house or even a small deck! This kid's playhouse need not necessarily be a huge project. It also need not have to be elaborate and expensive. Instead, it has to be a comfortable place where they can move about easily and safely.

Plans for backyard playhouse

With the playhouse in the backyard, it will be outdoors and yet stay under the watchful eyes of adults. The less structured and more natural the play is for children, the better. Since children learn social roles in their interaction with others, it is always best to let their imaginations go to work.

In a playhouse, there are no set of rules for the child to abide. The child thus has an opportunity to make decisions without asking their parents for every little thing.

Just as all of us have fond memories of our childhood days and friends, playhouse memories can be very special, with special friends and beloved pets. Backyard playhouses could be the place where secret plans are hatched among friends. It could just be here that a birthday cake was cut and where books were read with friends around.

Playhouse types

There are quite many different types of backyard playhouses to suit budget and style specifications. Some of the most popular playhouses are prefabricated with playhouse kits and tree houses. Depending upon the theme of the playhouses, the preferences and styles vary.

Since prefabricated backyard playhouses require the least work, they are preferred. Very small children can do well with plastic and resin playhouses, which are often available in large toy stores. These contain the basic room and features such as table and chairs, window boxes for planning flowers. Advanced features such as slides, moats and secret rooms can also be built.

Playhouse kits are available in toy and building stores and can also be ordered online. This is unlike a prefabricated house. Here, the buyer has to assemble the structure of the playhouse. However, using this kit may be better than starting from scratch since all necessary items including the plan are found in such kits.

For those children who are older and perhaps more adventurous, tree houses can be wonderfully suitable. However, a professional arborist has to analyze the tree for its strength before the construction. While there could be some prefab tree houses, it is more efficient to buy blueprints and a kit and easily adapt to suit the shape and size of a particular tree. Fun accessories for such a tree house include ladders, fireman poles and zip lines.

Theme playhouses

Playhouses revolving around a theme such as fairytale castles, storybook cottages, farm houses, Victorian bungalows, monster houses are perennial favorites. A daughter who loves Disney princess can paint up her favorite colors – pink for Sleeping Beauty, light blue for Cinderella and a yellow for Belle. If the son loves beaches, the playhouse décor can be made of fish nets and seashells. The playhouse can sometime double up into a pirate's den. There are so many such whimsical themes that one may choose from.

Fun ideas with a backyard playhouse

The backyard playhouses could be the ideal space for barbecues, pool parties, or simple play. Interiors could be wood clad with desk and a ledge and a resting sofa.

The playhouse could include a lot of colors and adequate work space for coloring and crafts and plenty of toys, games, puzzles, and books to pique their curiosity and help them develop creativity.

• Recycled timers can be used for post and beam frames, and for molding around salvaged windows.
  
  
• Use a rustic cherry or a maple ladder to lead to a sleeping loft.
  
  
• Cedar play house is for easy maintenance.
  
  
• Playhouses could be built with high ceiling so that children could use them for years to come.
  
  
• A real mail box and door lanterns can make this little home particularly inviting.