Garden Playhouse Design Ideas

When I was young, I had a Wendy house. My brother and sister before me had Wendy houses, and all my friends either had, or very much wanted, a Wendy house. So named after the woodland, Neverlandian construction built for and adored by Wendy of Peter Pan legend, they pretty much epitomised my childhood, and that of countless other 80s children. We played in them, we coveted them, and when they broke, we made our parents buy another one - and another other one if necessary.

The way we saw it, Wendy houses were quite simply the biz. We had our very own house - at our age, a house! - our own personal dominion in which to reign supreme, only our favourite teddies, friends and siblings earning admission. We were in power, and we weren't ashamed to admit that we liked it - rather a lot actually. Not to mention: my-Wendy-house-looks-better-than-yours! Disney was a popular theme, and if you were a girl there was nothing better than having Minnie Mouse smiling out at you from the walls of yours.

The only problem was, they would have been more aptly named 'windy' houses. In Scotland, it was almost always too blustery - or rainy, or cold - to use them out of doors. The grass was always wet, our noses were always running, our mothers always thought it a BAD idea. The flimsy, colourful plastic covering - attracting all the tastefull-est birds in the neighbourhood as the perfect place to relieve themselves - was forever blowing in or blowing out, rocking the whole thing from side to side, chilling one to the bone as it did so. The 'house' itself was supported by equally flimsy, tubular plastic scaffolding, that you could build up or dismantle, but which preferred not to stay 'mantled' for very long. If you accidentally stood on a piece, it broke. Truth be told, the whole thing was pretty unstable and usually not worth the effort. In the end, the only time I properly got to use mine was when my mum built it up in the dining room for me. Not the same thing at all...

So there you have it! Wendy houses pretty much encapsulate my childhood; excitement, anticipation, expectation - and finally disappointment - all rolled into one. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

But are the children of today similarly burdened with such a bitter-sweet legacy? Apparently not! Wendy houses have become a thing of the past (not such a bad thing you might say) and have been replaced by their grand, modern counterpart: garden playhouses. The playhouse is similar to the Wendy house in intended function, but is superior on every bar an imaginative level. For a start, they come in the form of a stable, sturdy structure. Built in either wood or hard plastic, they are constructed to safety standards and built to last. Not to mention, they are very fancy! It's not unlikely that you'll fall in love with one altogether nicer and posher looking than your own house, and all the cuter for being in miniature. Never a Micky nor Minnie in sight!

An outdoor playhouse may seem like a great accessory to add to your own family's yard, but its utility and appeal can also be enjoyed on a much larger level. It doesn't have to be a one family thing. In fact, with all of the joy and happiness that a kids playhouse can bring, it seems just as valuable to add it into an area that is community based and accessible to a multitude of children.

A community or neighborhood garden is the perfect place for integrating a kids playhouse. Here are three ways that a children's playhouse can be used to make a neighborhood garden turn from just a patch of dirt and plants into an amazing family retreat:

1. It will keep the children busy when parents have to focus on major gardening duties. A neighborhood garden requires many hands, but sometimes, those little hands can get a little bit in the way. When a team of neighbors are working on a large project, and the children have to be kept nearby, a kids playhouse will be perfect for everyone's peace of mind.