Plastic or wooden children's houses are the dream of every child. Judge for yourself, in such a structure you can play and have fun, releasing excess energy, store all kinds of dolls or cars, meet friends and, finally, hide from prying eyes.
On the market for children's goods, you can find a playhouse of almost any size, color and design. Real palaces for little princesses, dashing "Robingood" dwellings and pirate ships for young gentlemen are produced and sold.
It remains only to decide on the type of building (street or home), the place of installation, the amount that parents can spend on the play device so desired by children. And since the children's house is quite expensive, you need to choose it correctly and wisely.
Why is a playhouse useful for children?
A small dwelling is a place where a child is able to create his own unique world, his own fairy tale story and personal space. How important is such a house in the development of the baby? Experts lead a number of serious arguments in favor of this toy:
- An individual play space allows you to create the necessary conditions for improving children's independence. The child, imitating his parents, tries to perform certain actions himself: dress, put toys in places, etc.
- Playhouses for children help develop a sense of responsibility. The kid keeps order in the private room, cleans it, puts things in order. In the future, such skills will come in handy both in kindergarten and in school.
- Tiny dwellings help build relationships with siblings, peers and develop communication skills. The houses are suitable for both individual and group play. In the latter case, kids learn to interact, play by the rules, and follow the order.
- Psychologists talk about the development of imagination and creativity. With the help of houses, you can come up with numerous games, expand the game repertoire. It is curious that fantasy develops more strongly in those children who independently equip their homes from improvised materials - pillows, bedspreads or cardboard.
In addition, scientists point out the protective function of play houses. The fact is that from birth a child is surrounded by information flows. Television, computers, game consoles - such a combination can “load” the psyche of even adults.
Children are more susceptible to negative influences from unnecessary information. As a result, hyperactivity, absent-mindedness, sleep disturbances, inattention and other problems arise that often require qualified assistance.
A playhouse for a child is a place for unloading and emotional relaxation. The kid perceives his personal home as protection from any influences. Thus, playing in such a structure can be called a kind of therapeutic practice.
Don't know what to give your child for 1 year? The playhouse is a great option for presenting to young children who are active and curious.
At what age is the toy used?
Children's playhouses are unique toys suitable for children of all ages. True, for this you need to choose a device taking into account the age factor.
A one-year-old child, a three-year-old toddler, and a seven-year-old schoolboy will like to play in such a small dwelling.
Only a 12-month-old baby is more suitable for a fabric tent or an inflatable structure, and a five-year-old preschooler can already purchase a wooden house.
School-age children are already buying more “monumental” buildings, for example, two-story dwellings made of wood or plastic.
In addition, if you have the financial resources, you can donate a real game complex with slides, ropes and other additional devices.
Types of play devices
It is possible to classify playhouses for a child according to the operating conditions. Taking this factor into account makes it possible to divide children's homes into two large groups:
- for indoor installation (house or apartment);
- for installation in a suburban area.
Usually apartment buildings are more compact. If the living conditions do not allow the installation of a “monumental” structure, and the child really wants his personal space, parents should think about buying a corner house that will fence off one of the room corners.
For street entertainment, models of large sizes are usually purchased. In addition, if the house will be used for several years, then a reasonable solution would be to install it on a kind of foundation. But to implement such ideas, you need to choose the appropriate product.
A playhouse is also chosen taking into account the material from which the model is made. Total can be distinguished Several variants:
- high quality plastic;
- wood;
- polyvinyl chloride;
- textile;
- cardboard.
Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. If the parent decides to create something truly "long-playing" for the child, then the tree should be preferred. Well, if the priority is the mobility of the structure, then you should focus on plastic, fabric or inflatable structures.
Children's playhouses for a summer residence or plot
For those families who live in the country in the summer months or even live in a private estate, it is better to build play dwellings directly on the street.
For a child of any age, fun on the street is much more useful than home gatherings near the TV or set-top box. Installing a house on the site will help "pull" the little couch potato into fresh air and increase physical activity.
Outdoor entertainment gadgets are made from materials that are durable and resistant to wear. Preference should be given to plastic and wooden structures.
If we talk about structural solutions, then country houses are often a copy of real buildings. For example, a small fortress, a palace, “Baba-Yaga” dwelling, a two-storey cottage can be installed on the site. They have windows, doors, shutters. Inside there are furniture, dishes, even household appliances and textiles.
An alternative can be a pirate ship, especially if there is a boy in the family. “A ship washed ashore” is a great gift for a child, as well as a real physical exercise machine, because here you cannot do without ropes, ladders and other additional elements.
Plastic house - beauty and easy care
Plastic playhouses for children are reminiscent of a constructor consisting of panels. The walls, roofs and doors of such products can be easily attached to each other and disassembled if you need to transfer the structure to another place or send it for storage.
Caring for such structures is elementary: they are regularly washed with warm soapy water from the inside and outside, or simply rinsed from the watering hose.
Plastic products differ in a variety of designs. On sale there are both cute pink houses with turrets for gentle young ladies, and quite "brutal" fortresses or pirate galleons for little tomboy.
The materials used in the manufacture are environmentally friendly and safe. High-quality plastic can withstand both direct sunlight and low temperature conditions (up to -18 degrees). However, it is best to install a plastic house in the shade in summer, and disassemble the structure for the winter and store it until better times.
These facilities usually have tables and chairs for children. If desired and possible (if the size of the structure allows), the house can be equipped with other household items.
Wooden dwelling - close to nature
Wooden children's houses are capital. Such models, unlike plastic ones, are not mobile. By and large, this is a stationary product made of wood, installed on the site not for one season, but for several years.
Wood is an eco-friendly, natural material, breathable, filled with special natural energy. Houses made of this material are more durable and solid.
If desired, such structures can be turned into full-fledged one- or two-story houses with flights of stairs, bedding, table, chairs and other furniture.
If you decide to purchase a wooden play house, get ready for substantial expenses. Usually, wooden fixtures are much more expensive than plastic ones. You can save money if you make such a gift for your child with your own hands.
Another version of the playhouse is an inflatable structure. This is the most budget model, besides, it can be used both at home and on the street. Most often, such products are purchased for babies who have just learned to walk.
The pluses include a low probability of injury during the game. However, inflatable houses also have a drawback - fragility. You can damage the structure by hooking it with a sharp nail or knot. A pet is also capable of spoiling a toy - with claws or fangs.
Apartment models
A playhouse for small children in an apartment, among other things, helps to divide the children's room into several thematic zones. In addition, a beautiful and functional device is becoming a favorite place for children to play and other pastime.
Wooden and plastic houses
Products made of wood and plastic, which are intended for indoor use, are usually smaller and lighter, so they look less bulky and massive. The area of the smallest plastic models is about 1.2 m² and a little more than a meter in height. But there are also two-story modifications.
Wooden products are usually installed permanently, plastic playhouses can be rearranged, for example, during repairs, but experts still recommend finding a permanent place for the structure so as not to assemble and disassemble from time to time.
A big plus of home play equipment is a high level of security. In such houses there are no sharp corners, separating elements. But, as in street versions, there are roofs, doors and windows with shutters.
Fabric tents
A fabric house or tent can be considered a home and budget option. Such a structure consists of a dense fabric stretched over a wire or plastic frame.
There are many types of such tents: "Indian" wigwams, an ordinary house, a boat, cars and buses, complex structures with tunnels and labyrinths.
The advantages of such designs include the following characteristics:
- relative cheapness;
- mobility and lightness (even a child can rearrange to the right place);
- the opportunity to take with you to nature;
- versatility (you can store toys, turn into a ball pool);
- easy care (just wash the fabric).
Play tents also have disadvantages. The most obvious is instability. During active entertainment, the child is able to turn over the structure and get entangled in it. That is why you should not leave your baby unsupervised.
Inflatable houses
Also popular with parents and kids are houses made of polyvinyl chloride. They are intended primarily for children who have just learned to walk.
Among their advantages are low cost, compactness (can be folded and inflated as needed), prevention of child trauma, and the absence of elements hazardous to children's health. Some inflatable structures can also be converted into ball pools.
But they can burst or deflate? Yes, this option is not excluded. However, the kit with quality products may include a pump and special patches with glue for repair or maintenance work.
Cardboard dwellings
If you are not satisfied (for various reasons) with the models presented above, there is an opportunity to buy a house from such material, which is not quite usual for "capital" buildings, like cardboard.
It is very easy to assemble cardboard structures from ready-made parts according to the principle of a puzzle. Adhesive products are also commercially available and are also easy to install. And in order for the assembled house to become truly unique, you need to arm yourself with a brush and paints and paint.
Another design option is a laminated cardboard playhouse. Such a product is distinguished by a variety of colors, shapes - there are huts, rockets, cars.
You can decorate a cardboard product with textiles, a chair or an armchair and, of course, your favorite children's toys.
Additional accessories
To diversify entertainment and expand the repertoire for children's games, you can buy additional devices - slides, slopes, swings, tunnels and balls. The child will definitely say thank you!
Play tunnels
This device can serve as a passage to an inflatable or fabric house or connect two play structures. In such tunnels, children are happy to crawl, hide, visit each other, if the device serves as a connection for two houses.
Tunnels come in various shapes and sizes. You can buy an ordinary "pipe", as well as a caterpillar or a locomotive. Games in such devices help a child to grow up flexible, agile, physically enduring, and generally improve children's health.
The tunnels are sold together with a children's home or separately. Should you buy them? This is for parents to decide only, who should be guided by the interest of their babies.
Balloons
Plastic balls are a great simulator and massager that allows you to expand the functionality of many familiar toys, including a children's playhouse.
If you have an inflatable or fabric house, try making a dry pool out of it by running a set of plastic balls.
Games in this design relieve increased tone, strengthen muscles and improve children's mood.
These balls are used for other purposes as well. Ask the kid to name the color of each ball, count how many balls you have laid out in a row. In addition, the child will be able to train accuracy by throwing balls into the basket or aiming at a specific target.
Baby bed
A home house is often combined with other household items. For example, for an overgrown child who is already cramped in an infant cradle, you can purchase a crib combined with a play dwelling.
Such beds differ in design solutions: some products have sleeping places on the first floor, while others, respectively, on the second. The beds are equipped with high sides that are removed when the child grows up.
Usually these cribs are made of wood or plywood. When buying, you need to pay attention to safety. Make sure that the products do not have sharp corners, rough edges, chips and other defects that can injure the baby.
Low-quality products are distinguished by poor staining and a pungent toxic odor. It is important to consider and even smell the crib with the house. This will save the family from acquiring a harmful design and a waste of money.
"Gender" question
When purchasing a children's playhouse for a summer residence, it is necessary to take into account the interests and desires of the child. On sale there are both universal models suitable for boys and girls, and options designed specifically for a baby of a certain gender.
Boys most often choose models with additional accessories: a rope, slide, steep ladders, other gymnastic equipment and accessories. That is, you can get a whole game complex.
The shapes of the houses can be very different: a ship for pirates, a fortress for guards and shooters, a castle for wizards or a country cottage with a garage and a "dry pool".
Little ladies also take the issue of choosing a playhouse very seriously. Girls will like the options in the form of a castle for princesses, sorceresses, favorite fairy-tale characters, a carriage, a flower.
For story games, you can purchase products that are miniature copies of restaurants, educational institutions, supermarkets or hospitals.
However, some babies are delighted with seemingly boyish children's designs. For example, parents often purchase castle houses or boat houses for active girls. Be sure to consider the opinion of your child!
Rules for choosing a playhouse
So, the decision to buy a children's home has been made. Now you need to choose the most suitable product, which would be not only safe, but also useful, developing physical and mental qualities. For this, it is necessary to consider several factors6
- Decide whether you will purchase a structure for a house or a summer cottage. This is important for the choice of material, dimensions and calculation of the product cost
- The age of the child must also be taken into account. Inflatable or fabric products are suitable for one-year-old babies. Children over three years old can choose other types of play houses.
- The most important issue is the safety of the structure. Ask for a certificate of quality, carefully examine the product, smell it. The high quality playhouse has no chemical odor and is painted with durable paint.
- If you are going to use the house both at home and on vacation, choose a folding model - an inflatable, plastic or tent house.
- Be sure to ask the child's opinion, especially if the child is over three years old. Girls do not always choose girly models, so it is important to take into account the wishes of the baby.
A playhouse for a child is a necessary thing, but not a must. And yet, parents who have acquired such designs speak extremely positively about them. Kids play in the house for a long time, which allows moms and dads to rest a little and gain strength for further education. Develop positively!
