The Best Playhouse Kits to Buy

The Best Playhouse Kits to Buy

Your child will enjoy helping build her own little house. Johner Images/Getty Images

You're still building a playhouse on your own—except the pieces are already cut and finished. Playhouse kits usually offer more options and extras, just like miniature model homes. It's a great introduction to DIY outdoor structures. Read the instructions and assemble. Piece of cake, right? You still need to be mindful of a few basics, like:

Little Alexandra's Cottage, Canadian Playhouse Factory. Home Depot

What: Little Alexandra's Cottage Deluxe Playhouse Kit with Covered Front Porch

Brand: Canadian Playhouse Factory

Materials: Cedar and exterior-grade plywood.

This easy-to-assemble playhouse features a covered front porch and a fun Dutch door. It can be painted or left natural.

Details:

• Pre-assembled walls and pre-shingled roof for easy assembly
• 72 x 72 x 72 inches
• 450 pounds
• Features three cedar windows with shutters
• Full Dutch door with shelf
• Two flower boxes
• Clear cedar deck with railing

Wooden Emma playhouse. Amazon.com

What: Emma Playhouse on Poles

Brand: Axi

Materials: Asian cedar wood, Cunninghemia lanceolata. This wood is sourced from carefully managed, sustainable plantation forests.

Details:

• Parts are sanded to a smooth finish for extra safety
• Slanted window frame is constructed to keep small fingers from getting trapped
• Magnetic catches on doors an windows are child friendly
• Panels are made of cedar planks (15 mm), slotted into an extra-thick framework (38 mm)
• Materials are strong and durable

Aspen playhouse. Amazon.com

What: Aspen All-Cedar Wood Playhouse

Brand: Backyard Discovery

Materials: Cedar

Details:

• Oval set door window with working door knob and latch
• Side serving station with bench
• Comes with play burner
• Fruit and vegetables basket
• Play sink and faucet

Sara's Mansion playhouse by Little Cottage. Amazon.com

What: A Victorian-style playhouse kit

Brand: Little Cottage

This Victorian mini-mansion boasts many amenities with plenty of space to decorate and furnish. And for many young "homeowners," decorating, redecorating, and moving around furniture is half the fun of playing house.

All parts are precut and ready to assemble.

Details:

Daniels Wood Land Playhouse. Photo courtesy of Hayneedle

What: Imaginative treehouses and playsets

OK. So, if they ask you to have a forklift ready for when the playhouse arrives, it isn't exactly a sweat-equity, get down and get dirty DIY project.

But Daniels Wood Land playhouses are really cool, featuring highly imaginative designs. And they aren't inexpensive.

Details:

The Original, pictured, is one of the more modest models. Among its attributes:

Winchester wooden playhouse and swingset. Amazon.com

What: Winchester playhouse with swingset

Brand: Swing-N-Slide

Details:

• Comes in three easy-to-assemble play decks totaling 32 square feet
• Assembled dimensions: 9 feet w x 13 feet l x 10 feet h
• All premium precut lumber and poly-coated uprights included
• Bracket system designed to save time with assembly
• Can be assembled in one day or less

Pennfield Playhouse by Little Cottage. Amazon.com

What: A playhouse with with a Dutch door and a front porch.

Brand: Little Cottage Co.

This detailed playhouse by the Little Cottage Co. looks like one of those idyllic houses you'd see in a movie, only on a smaller scale. The standard kit includes a front porch with balustrade, railing and dormer windows. Panelized walls sections (not just precut) saves time in assembly. All other parts are precut and ready to assemble.

Details:

Little Cottage mansion playhouse. Amazon.com

What: A child-sized replica of a beautiful mansion

Brand: Little Cottage

Details:

• Safe, durable LP Smart Side construction
• House dimensions: approximately 16 x 10 x 10 feet
• Parts are pre-cut and panelized for easy assembly
• Includes 22 working windows and 10 flowerboxes

Step2 Neat and Tidy II Playhouse. Amazon.com

What: A toddler-sized playhouse

Brand: Step2

Details:

• Open design allows children to be visible while playing
• Exterior features a pass-through mailbox, realistic doorbell and a molded-in flower box, which can be planted with real or faux flowers (not included)
• Dutch door and window shutters
• Interior includes kitchen seat, fireplace, wall clock, play phone, built-in shelves, kitchen table, faucet and built-in floor with drain holes

Original article and pictures take www.thespruce.com site