Children often don't enjoy plastic playhouses as much as they seem more comparable to a 'toy' than a real little house of their own.

Plastic playhouses generally come prepackaged as several large pieces that need slotting together, a light plastic playhouse can never be as sturdy as a solid as a wooden one and wont make the delightful garden feature and the same impact in your garden that a wooden wendy house would. A wooden playhouse is hand made by craftsmen and a very special attractive item in it's own right.

Wooden playhouses tend to cost around ten percent more than plastic playhouses, however they do tend to be a much larger to make up for the additional cost, giving equal or even better value for your money. Wooden playhouses are practical and more durable than plastic ones, as plastic playhouses fade and deteriorate over time, whilst wooden ones may be treated with wood stain, meaning that they last for years and years.

Let's be honest here, wooden playhouses are fine-looking, as they look more traditional, and when painted beautifully, can look more like a home in the garden.

Playhouse Sizes

Have you consider the size of the playhouse you would like? Obviously the usable space in your garden is a significant factor when deciding on the size of your playhouse, as is the number of children you are catering for.

Types of Playhouse

The first type is a traditional wooden playhouse which sits on the ground. These are either single storey playhouses or double storey playhouses, which generally have an internal ladder or stairs to access the top floor. The second type is the tower playhouse, and are supported by wooden legs. Tower playhouses usually have a ladder.

Need a Base for a Wooden Playhouse?

You do need some variety of solid base for a children’s playhouse. Whilst most children’s playhouses come with an internal floor, you'll still need to provide a level base for it, otherwise the walls of the playhouse might not align correctly.

The easiest solid base to furnish is concrete paving slabs, as six or eight large slabs can be enough to provide a big enough playhouse base, are relatively cheap, and quite straightforward to position.

Children’s Playhouse Safety

Obviously you need to consider safety aspects when choosing a children’s playhouse. Any outdoor toy sold in the UK, in addition to as the rest of Europe, should conform to the relevant safety standard.

There are several safety aspects you should insist on when buying a children’s playhouse:

The Stringent European Standards for Outdoor Playground Equipment EN1176-EN1177 certificate

Plastic/styrene windows, as glass can be dangerous

The wood should be planed so it's smooth to touch to prevent splintering

Other options may include:

Slate roof

Underfloor Heating

Made to measure curtains and blinds!

Children’s Playhouse Prices

There's a very wide variety of styles, sizes and price range when it comes to buying playhouses. Make certain to choose a reputable company to purchase from as your child's safety is priceless.