A Wooden Playhouse Is A Family Bonding Activity
July 6th, 2010
How many times in a summer do you hear your kids say, “I’m bored?”. To solve the boredom problem, get a wooden playhouse so that your kids can have a more exciting and fun-filled summer. The best thing about a kids playhouse is that you can make it a family activity by involving your spouse and kids in choosing the playhouse location, size, style, decor and even the color.
Let’s start with choosing the location of the playhouse. Your property lot size and space availability will generally determine where the playhouse will go on your property. If you have a lot of space, then choose a place close to your house to keep an eye on the kids, in a shady location to keep the children’s playhouse cool in the summer months, on a flat piece of soil for easier leveling of the foundation, and close to electrical source if you plan to have electricity to the playhouse.
Once the location is finalized, you need to determine the size of the outdoor kids playhouse. Playhouses come in many different sizes but typically they are between 6 ft – 12 ft in length and width. The height of the kids play house is generally 10 ft – 12 ft but will depend upon if you plan on having a loft on the second level.
Take height measurements of your children. According to the growth charts put out by the Center for Disease Control, the average (50 percentile) height of both males and females for a 5 year old is about 43 inches, 50 inches tall for an 8 year old, and almost 60 inches for a 12 year old. Take into consideration whether you want the playhouse to be used only when your children are pre-Kindergarten or if the playhouse will be used beyond elementary school. Deciding this in advance will help you choose the size of the playhouse.
One you’ve decided upon the size of the playhouse, get some rope and stakes and begin to lay out where the playhouse will be. You probably have one or two little helpers who would love to help you with this activity.
The fun part is next because you can choose many different styles of playhouses. There are many different styles of a wooden playhouse, from traditional cottages or Victorian houses to log cabins or pirate playhouses. What tickles the fancy of your children and would look great in our backyard for at least several years?
Lastly, begin to think about the decor or accessories that can be added to your playhouse that could enhance the style. Whether the wooden playhouse is built from scratch or purchased, your family can have a great time by looking for accessories at garage sales, discount stores, hardware stores or on-line, that can complement the playhouse theme.
The next time your child says they are bored, you can put them to work on a wooden playhouse project that will ultimately keep them interested many years into the future!