Outdoor Playhouses

All kids love having their "own" space to play. Whether it is building forts and rooms out of pillows and blankets, or using carboard boxes to play in, kids like a place to call their own. The tree house has always been a kids-only, kid-friendly kind of play area -- all you need is backyard tree, some scrap lumber and nails, and maybe some rope for a swing. A playhouse was a lot more complicated and normally required Dad to do most of the work if he was the constructions type. But these days, there are many companies that offer playhouse building services, just like all the ready-made home playground and swingset businesses. You can get a custom made luxury playhouse, just to your specifications, even matching the design and colors of your main home. Or you can choose from a prefabricated design that is shipped and assembled on your property.

---

Luxury Wooden Playhouses

For some great looking children's luxury playhouses, check out LilliputPlayHomes.com. They make a variety of models to choose from, like the Storybook Bungalow and the Olde Firehouse. Their playhouses come in prefabricated kits consisting of 10-20 panels and components. Everything is painted, shingled, and ready to assemble and start playing. Some of the pieces are large, so assembly is definitely a two-man project -- plan on spending a full day more or less putting one together. You don't need special carpentry skills - just follow the instructions and have your screwdriver handy. The playhouses come on a pressure-treated decking base, which is meant to be placed on concrete pads or step stones, meaning no foundation is required. They can also build custom playhouse to your design specifications. How much do these luxury kids playhouses cost? Their top of the line model, the Grand Victorian Playhouse, will set you back $19,000. This is a large 17' x 9' playhouse with beautiful finishing details. A simpler house, like the Olde Fire House is quite a bit cheaper -- only $6000. This is an 8' x 6' structure that comes complete with a firepole inside. The Princess Cottage is simpler still, only $5000 and perfect for your little princess. So in general, be prepared to spend $4-5K on the low end for a high-quality children's playhouse, and up to $15K+ if you are looking for something fancy.

Building a Playhouse for your kids

Even though you may not have the skills to build a playhouse from scratch, putting together one of these kits, maybe with the help of your children, still gives you a sense of accomplishment and involvement. Another site we liked that offered playhouses shipped direct to you in the form of finished components ready for final assembly was BetterPlayhouses.com. There houses tend to be smaller and simpler, but also a lot less expensive. For example, the HoneyBee Playhouse is only 4' x 4' and stands a little over 5 feet in height, but the cost is only $819. With a working door and a swingout window, complete with flower bed, all you need to do is assemble and add paint. The walls ship as complete units, the roof is made of half a dozen parts plus trim, then there is the floor and connecting strips at the corners, throw in the window and doors, and that's most of your parts. Also made of pine and a little larger in size is the Nottingham Playhouse, at 8 feet by 6 feet. The cost for this one is $2219 (delivered) and comes with four windows and a porch overhang. Whichever playhouse you select, their instruction manual calls for a 3 inch deep excavation to be filled with sand and pavers to support the playhouse at ground level. All units ship unpainted, so you need to paint them prior to building, again 3 months later, and then annually to protect the wood from the elements. You'll need some basic tools for assembling your playhouse:

• screwdriver (electric if you have it)
• drill
• hammer
• cutting knife
• tape measure
• step ladder
• ruler
• pencil
• saw
• chisel

We have to say that our favorites were the old cabin style looking Western Red Cedar Playhouses. They range from $1399 for the 6' x 6' playhouse kit, to $3199 for the 9' x 7' Outback Playhouse. If you are looking for a do-it-yourself playhouse, consider building from one of these kits instead of trying to start from scratch. If you have lots of free time, you could save money by designing and building your own playhouse, but unless you know something about construction, these kits make the job much easier, and you end up with a finished, good-looking playhouse instead of something built from scrap lumber.

Do you have a quality site or product that belongs in this guide? We are always happy to evaluate or review new products and websites. Feel free to contact us at the email address below and let us know about you. If you have a demo product you'd like us to look at, please contact us before sending anything. Thank you.

Review and Internet Guide Index: Computers and Internet: - Amazon Kindle Review - Best Selling Wireless Routers Household/DIY: - Replacing a Furnace - Most Popular Bread Makers Cars and Automobiles

Audio/Video Electronics - Best 50" LCD TVs - What is Tivo and how does it work? Top-Rated Digital Cameras and Photos: - Top HD Video Cameras - Buying a Digital SLR Camera Entertainment/Hobbies

Health & Fitness: - Teeter Inversion Tables - Recumbent Exercise Bikes Travel - Disneyland Hotel Guide - Hotels and Lodging - Top 10 Things to Do in New York Sports and Outdoors