Playhouse For Older Kids

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A playhouse isn’t just good for little kids — it can also make a huge difference in the mental and physical well-being of older kids. We all agree that many kids spend too little time outdoors in the fresh air away from their screens. These outdoor playhouses for older children are sure to make your backyard more enticing for them and their friends. From simpler styles to ones with lots of bells and whistles, these seven outdoor (and one indoor) playhouses will help your kids develop their social skills, engage in physical activities, and get some much-needed vitamin D. And all while they’ll just think they’re having fun.

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Updated 08/03/2023

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Playhouse For Older Kids

Buying Guide

A playhouse is often a place for a youngster to retreat and have a little time away from the world of grownups. It is easy to find a playhouse for a young child. Companies such as Lil Tikes make all sorts of molded plastic houses that can amuse the preschool set. But locating a retreat for an older child, age six to ten or older can be more of a challenge.

What are the most desirable types of playhouses for older kids?

The most exciting designs of playhouses include:

The Cardboard House

Back in the days of refrigerator boxes, creating a cardboard playhouse was easy. But as packaging has become an environmental issue, such items are less available. Manufacturers and distributors have stepped into the gap by creating the coloring playhouse. The box is already in playhouse configuration, but the child or other interested parties can provide the decorations. Some of the houses come with outlines drawn on the house, while others are simply blank and waiting for a creative hand.

The Tent

From bed-tents to actual camping gear, there are few children who wouldn’t love to have some fabric walls into which to retreat when siblings or parents become just Too Much. A tent is easy to erect and can be folded up for storage when not in use. Theme tents, such as a log cabin or princess pavilion can create a place for games of pretend.

The Jungle Gym

Many backyard playsets incorporate a small “house” as part of their swing, slide, and exercise set up. Such places provide a place for school-age children to enact their games of pretend while stretching their muscles. The set might have a theme, but youngsters will often incorporate their own interpretations, so the structure might become a pirate ship, a fort or even a space-going craft.

The Small House

Youngsters who are approaching their teens, or even a few teenagers, appreciate a rain-proof building where they can retreat. When fitted out with appropriately sized furnishings, this can be a place to keep a diary, a few favorite toys, or even a craft project or two. It is the safe escape from parental supervision (at least nominally) where elaborate fantasies can be created and dreams dreamed.

The house itself can be a log cabin, a cute cottage, or even a converted storage building. Fitted out with a folding foam couch, a table and a chair along with some shelves for favorite items, and you might find your youngster taking refuge there quite often.

The Tree House

Somewhat like the small house, a tree house is a place to retreat. It can also be a place to play at being pirates or piloting a spaceship, or any number of other alternate realities that can be enacted in an afternoon. The beauty of a tree house is getting up above it all, being out of reach of non-climbing younger siblings or just simply out of parental sight, and therefore hopefully out of mind. (The savvy parent knows this, and allows the illusion of independence to thus flourish.)

How to make sure the playhouse is safe?

Apart from checking that the playhouse conforms to national product safety standards, make sure the structure does not have sharp corners or any protruding objects, especially at head level. Check for any gaps that your children might fall through or stick their heads through. If there are swings or climbing walls, inspect them regularly for safety hazards.