Having great places to play outside for kids is important because everyone needs healthy doses of fresh air and sunshine. Getting out of the house and away from the TV for exercise and fun playtime is a win-win situation because kids go outside and burn off a lot of that excess energy and parents get the opportunity to get a few things accomplished around the house, which can be a challenge with a toddler in the house. Outside playhouses are great places for kids to have hours of imaginative fun, but parents need to keep a few things in mind.

Here’s a quick list of a few things parents need to do to make sure the kids have lots of safe fun:

• As sturdy and as well constructed as modern playhouses are, check every couple of weeks to see if there is any damage to the playhouse, both inside and out. Cracks and other damage can pinch or cut a child, so attending to any damage as soon as possible is important

• Every few days, check to see if spiders or other insects have begun building a nest. Since these playhouses are located outside, this is a distinct possibility

• Again, since these are located outside, have your child come tell you if there’s an animal inside they don’t know. Tell them not to play with it, but to come get you immediately. While it could be a neighborhood cat, it could also be a raccoon or squirrel and even though they may look cute and cuddly, they are not fun to play with

• After strong weather, you may need to give the playhouse a quick cleaning. Since these are not designed to be weather tight, the floors and walls inside could have water or even mud on them

Even though these playhouses are designed to be as safe as possible, still check on your kids every 15 to 30 minutes to make sure everything’s OK

Kids can have hours of fun in playhouses and can build many fanciful tales of their days’ play. Having all the right toys to go with it like remote controls, toy cell phones and even a ride on truck or car to drive around the yard in adds even more enjoyment to their play. But taking the time out of your day to make sure everything is safe and secure means those hours of play won’t be interrupted by an injury or issue.