Best Play House Reviews 2018

Thinking of the best way to keep your child busy while you take out some time to take a sip of coffee or wine? Then a play house is probably what you need. However, choosing the best playhouse for your little one can take up an ample amount of your time, so we’ve cut out the more boring stuff for you by bringing you this review and buying guide. We researched many playhouses in the market and the features they offer, selecting the top five based on functionality and value. These five are only a selection from a wide range of products in the catalogs of the featured brands, however, so feel free to check out other options offered by these brands.

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Material

Ages

Size

Assembly

Accessories

Our Top Choice

Backyard Discovery Timberlake Playhouse

Backyard Discovery is committed to bringing back the pre-tech play spirit in children when fresh air, friends, and active imagination was all that mattered.

It’s easy to assemble within 1 hour, is made of durable cedar wood and has decorative flower pot holders.

The parts are put together with little staples.

Cedar

24 months - 10 years

47 x 42 x 56”; 81 pounds

Easy to assemble

Play kitchen

Best Value

Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage II Playhouse

Step2 is a driven toys manufacturer that has become one of the world’s largest manufacturer of toddler and preschool children’s toys.

It has a built-in floor with drain holes. It’s a durable plastic playhouse that features an open design for ease of supervision.

There are no predrilled holes for assembly.

Plastic

18 months - 8 years

35 x 51 x 46.5”; 57 pounds

Adult assembly required

Dutch door

ECR4Kids Wilderness Log Cabin Playhouse

ECR4Kids is committed to manufacturing innovative and high-quality classroom furniture and equipment that make learning fun and exciting for kids.

It’s lightweight, has functional door and windows that open and it also has enough head room for taller kids.

It’s quite expensive, but is good value for your money.

Blow molded plastic

36 months - 8 years

63.7 x 64.8 x 61.7”; 141 pounds

Adult assembly required

Stone façade entryway

Kidkraft Outdoor Wooden Playhouse

Kidkraft is committed to creating innovative and quality products that inspire young minds to explore and discover their world through play.

It has a functional door knob, a fabric curtain for its back windows and an easy-to-read assembly direction.

The door may scrape the ground if it’s not properly elevated during assembly.

Wood

24 months - 8 years

49.1 x 43.6 x 59.2”; 96 pounds

Easy to assemble

Accommodates multiple kids

Little Tikes Cape Cottage Playhouse

Little Tikes is a renowned manufacturer of innovative and high-quality children’s product including learning accessories and it provides unrivaled customer support.

It’s lightweight, easy to assemble, has stickers for house address and also sports a flag stand and a pop-in mailbox.

This playhouse doesn’t have any accessories inside it.

Plastic

24 months - 5 years

42.8 x 35 x 49”; 31 pounds

Easy to assemble

Mail slots

(Updated May 31, 2017)

Skip ahead and go directly to the reviews.

Related Reviews

Best Children's Playpen

in Infant, Babies and Toddlers

Baby Diego Cub'Zone Playpen And Activity Center With Detachable Panels For Increasing/Reducing Play Space

Best Kids Ball Pit

in Toys, Games and Hobbies

Dimple Children’s Indoor / Outdoor Pop Up Play House Tent With ‘100 Ball’ Ball Pit & Basketball Hoop

Best Kid’s Pool

in Lawn, Yard, and Garden

Intex Rainbow Ring Inflatable Play Center, 117" X 76" X 53", for Ages 2+

Watch Our Play House Review

How Do I Choose the Best Play House?

You know it's not only adults who love to have their private space? Kids do too. Not only does this private space give them time to themselves, but it also gives you your space. Having a playhouse in your home presents some advantages both to you and your kids. You never know how much your children learn from you till you allow them "play house." You see them welcome their friends, host them and treat them just like you would do. This playtime is adequate entertainment for you while you can sit in a hammock chair and watch them. It also gives them the opportunity to learn on their own terms. The challenge people have about getting a playhouse is deciding whether to make one by themselves or to buy an already made one.

A custom-made playhouse will cost a little more than a prefabricated one, and it takes up a lot more time and energy, but then you’ll be making it to your taste and standard. However, there are a good number of ready-made playhouses that would match your standards; all you need to do is look for them. We also understand the challenge of finding these great playhouses and knowing what the factors to consider. That’s why we have put together this guide to help you make a faster decision. In this guide, we’ll be looking at the most important features to consider before choosing the right kid's playhouse for you. We’ll also give you a list of our top 5 brands and products that have been well researched to help streamline your options. But before we get into that, let’s look at the types of playhouse we have:

Outdoor playhouses: These are made with sturdy materials such as wood, plastic or metal that can withstand different atmospheric conditions. They’re large in construction, and some of them come attached with swings and slides. If you’re setting up an outdoor playhouse, be sure to get an insect repellent for it
Indoor Playhouses: These are made with lightweight materials such as plastic or cardboard that are portable and can be dismantled and moved around with ease

Some playhouses function between both types, so they’re made to have features that both types of playhouses have. Most prefabricated playhouses will need assembly, therefore it’ll be appropriate to have an electric screwdriver handy to help with all the parts that need to be put together. Now that you have an idea of the types of playhouses and what differentiates them, let’s go ahead and see the important features associated with playhouses and how important these features are for your purchase decision.

Price

What’s your budget for a playhouse? If you have this already sorted, then you’ve taken the first step in choosing the right playhouse for you. However, you need to know that different factors affect the price of a playhouse, so it’d be better if your budget is organized in a range. For a range of $120 to $800, you can get a playhouse that’ll suit your tastes depending on the features it presents. A playhouse with additional accessories such as a sink, tables, and benches will cost more than an empty playhouse. So, your budget will also be influenced by the features of the playhouse.

While researching on the best playhouses in the market, we came across some cheap kid’s playhouses, but from reviews we realized that they’re not durable and some of them weren’t child-friendly. We ignored these products and selected the less expensive ones that are laden with the essential features required for a great playhouse.

Features

Getting the right playhouse for your kids may not be a post graduate thesis but it sure requires some research. The challenge with this is that you may see many features and designs that could get you confused on what features are more important and why. We have researched playhouses and discovered that there are features that should be given more consideration before making a purchase. We’ve put together these features and outlined their importance to help guide you through the decision process.

Here are some of the features to look out for:

Material and weight
Age of child and number of kids
Size and portability
Accessories and child-friendliness
Ease of assembly
Gender
Color

Let’s look at these features individually and see how they ought to influence your choice of a playhouse.

Construction and Design

Like we stated earlier, playhouses come in wood, plastic, metal and cardboard materials. The location of your playhouse (whether indoor or outdoor) determines the material you should pick. High-quality plastic, wood, and metal would be best for outdoor while cardboard and flimsy plastic could be used for indoors.

If you’ll be moving your playhouse around a lot, it’ll be of great benefit to know the assembled weight of your playhouse. After setting up, you may need to move it from the point of setup to the final location of the playhouse; knowing the weight helps you determine whether it’s portable enough for transport or you’d be better off setting it up at its destination.

Some playhouses are made to be gender specific; you may need to look out for that. Most manufacturers apply this to the color and the type of accessories loaded inside the playhouse. Since you’re getting this playhouse for your child, it’d be best to get it in a color that he would love so that he would enjoy spending time in it.

Performance and Ease of Use

Playhouses are made with age recommendations. It’s important that you take note of the age bracket recommended for your playhouse of choice so that you don’t purchase a playhouse that’s not appropriate for the child.

The size of your playhouse is of great importance, most especially the height. You need to know if it’s high enough for your child to stand in it. You also need to know if it’s broad and roomy enough for your child to play in. You may also need to consider the number of kids that the playhouse can take at once. If you need a playhouse that can take three children at the same time, look out for a playhouse that’s roomy enough for that.

If what you want is a basic playhouse that you can put in toys for the child to play with, or something that’ll have accessories that are close to what you have in a real house, then you need to consider the accessories your playhouse is coming with.

A playhouse should be safe enough for your child to play in and not get injured. Ensure that you confirm that your playhouse is child-friendly with no sharp edges or metallic parts that could be harmful to the child. Some playhouses come with a floor while others don’t. Knowing the location of your playhouse will help you determine whether to purchase a playhouse with a floor or whether you can do without it. For instance, if you’re placing your playhouse on the patio or a concrete floor, the floor may not be a necessity anymore.

Lastly, look out for information on ease of assembly of the playhouse. You don’t want to get a playhouse that’ll take you days to setup. Also, find out if there’s a direction for assembly in the package, and find out if you would need an extra hand for the installation.

What is the Best Play House?

Now that you know the important features to look out for before purchasing a playhouse and the importance of these features, let’s go ahead and show you the list of five top brands we’ve chosen and why we chose them. We believe you’ll find the best playhouse for you in this list.

Our Top Choice

The Backyard Discovery Timberlake Playhouse is a weather resistant playhouse with play accessories that include a stove, sink and a cordless phone. It’s perfect for the outdoors. If you need a less expensive playhouse with a doorknob and latch, you can check out the Backyard Discovery Columbus Wood Playhouse, which also has large window openings and a ledge.

Backyard Discovery Timberlake All Cedar Wood Playhouse with Flower Pot Shelves

Backyard Discovery Playhouse 65314

Features

For over 30 years, Backyard Discovery has been manufacturing playsets that help build up children both physically and psychologically. Its staff comprises everyday parents who factor in the needs of their kids in designing play sets that all children would love to play in. It has positioned itself as one of the biggest swing sets manufacturers in the United States of America with the best dealers to help get the playsets across to you. One of its primary goals is to bring play back to children, to bring back the days when they played in the open, with friends and an active imagination. It’s with this aim that it made the Timberlake Playhouse.

The Backyard Discovery Timberlake Playhouse is a quick assembly playhouse; you can put this together in only 1 hour. Other features sported by this playhouse are:

It’s made of durable cedar wood
The parts come in panels that make for quick assembly
It has wide front windows to allow for cool air
The half front door allows for ease of access and reduces the risk of getting trapped
It has flower pot holders by the sides for natural or artificial flowers
Bundled play accessories including a sink, a stove and cordless phone
It has a snack window where your kid can serve tea from
Assembly is secured with safe T-fuse interlocking nuts
High strength steel brackets make the structure firm
The cedar wood material makes it weather resistant
The finish stain is chemical-free so, it is safe for children
All plastic components are UV resistant

Do you need a playhouse with different features? Check out the others from Backyard Discovery.

Best Value

The Step2 Neat & Tidy II Playhouse has play accessories such as a sink, kitchen table, kitchen seat, faucet, built-in shelves, wall clock and a play phone that fit neatly into an appealing exterior. Would you prefer a playhouse with a handrail and welcome mat? Check out the Step2 Welcome Home Playhouse.

Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage II Playhouse with Pass-through Mailbox and Doorbell

Step2 Play House 841600

Features

In only 26 years of operation, Step2 has built a brand that employs 800+ parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other family members to help create products that’ll bring the family together – child playthings. This brand was grown from an employee base of only five persons when it started. It boasts of being the largest manufacturer of toys for preschool children and toddlers, and it’s also the world's largest rotational molder of plastics. It aims to become the world's biggest innovator of children's products. It’s a brand to be trusted with quality products, as is seen with the Neat and Tidy II Playhouse.

The Step2 Neat & Tidy II Playhouse features an open design that keeps the kids visible as they play in it. You don't need to go into the house to see what they’re doing; you can supervise them from where you are. It also has these features:

Interior accessories includes kitchen seat, fireplace, faucet, wall clock, play phone, built-in shelves and kitchen table
Maximum weight for the kitchen seat is 35 pounds
On the exterior, there is a pass-through mail box and an electronic bell
A molded-in flower box adorns the front window
Functional Dutch door and shutters
Built-in floor with drain holes
Two AAA batteries are required for its operation
Requires adult assembly
Recommended age of use is 1.5 years and above
Exterior looks like stone and wood
Made of hard plastic

The doorbell is realistic and can only work when the batteries are inserted.

Is this not the playhouse you had in mind? Feel free to check out the other options offered by Step2.

The ECR4Kids Wilderness Playhouse is an outdoor and indoor playhouse that comes with benches and a table that can slide outwards and a doorbell that plays three different sounds. Would you rather go for a play boat instead? Then check out the ECR4Kids Buccaneer Boat, which comes with a cool pirate flag.

ECR4Kids Wilderness Log Cabin Children’s Playhouse with Sliding Tables and Benches

ECR4Kids Play House ELR-12519

Features

ECR4Kids is a brand that’s committed to manufacturing high-quality classroom furniture and equipment that deliver value, functionality, and good performance. It has established itself as a go-to brand for innovative products such as learning tables, interactive chairs and play cots. At the core of its values is a focus and commitment for efficient and quick delivery with an outstanding customer support.

The ECR4Kids Wilderness Playhouse is designed to look like a log cabin with the façade of a stone entryway, which is actually a functional door that’s complemented by an operational window. It has a doorbell, which requires 3 AA batteries to function, that plays three different sounds: ding-dong, a barking sound, and a mewing sound. The playhouse is roomy enough to allow children to do some art projects or have some snacks with friends. It has two benches and a table that could be slid out for an out-of-the-cabin experience. It’s constructed of blow molded plastic and can be used both for outdoor and indoor. This playhouse is recommended for children of 2 years and above and has a 2-year limited warranty backing it. An adult should do the assembly.

Here are other products from this brand:

ECR4Kids Children's Country Estate Playhouse – Features colorful doors and windows with molded bricks
ECR4Kids Lake Cottage Children's Play House – Garden cottage with porch, charming columns and working windows and doors
ECR4Kids 50" x 47" x 57" Fancy Children's Play House – With buzzing doorbells and keys that work
ECR4Kids Birch Hardwood Playhouse Cube – Reading cube for two

Are you still looking for the perfect playhouse? Check out the other options from ECR4Kids.

The Kidkraft Outdoor Playhouse is made of weather-resistant cedar wood with swinging door and windows that give it a realistic feel. If you’d like to have one of Kidkraft’s award-winning dollhouses as well, you can check out the KidKraft Sparkle Mansion.

Kidkraft Weather-resistant Wooden Outdoor Playhouse with Full-Swing Windows

Kidkraft Play House 00176

Features

At first, all Kidkraft wanted to do was create toys that gave children room and opportunity to explore their highly imaginative mind, which is why it made award-winning dollhouses and play kitchens. But as time went on, it realized that these toys could go beyond the playroom, and it started making playhouses and backyard playsets. Kidkraft is committed to inspiring young minds by creating products that trigger their imaginations and empower them to discover and explore their world through play.

The Kidkraft Outdoor Playhouse is constructed of weather-resistant cedar wood that makes it fit for the outdoors. With swinging door and windows, this playhouse has a realistic feel to it, and the wooden siding makes it look like a real cottage. The door has a functional knob that helps your little ones with their locomotive skills while there’s a corner sink inside with a cold and hot water faucet. The interior is wide enough to allow more than two kids play in it. It’s sturdy and easy to put together by two adults because it comes with easy-to-read step-by-step instructions for its assembly. It has a mailbox with a flag at the entrance and the window at the back comes with a fabric curtain. This playhouse is recommended for children from 2 years up.

Here are other playhouses with different features offered by Kidkraft:

KidKraft My Woodland Playhouse - 155 – With doorknob and durable UV stain and a working doorbell
KidKraft Modern Outdoor Playhouse – With espresso picnic table and two benches attached to its side and an outdoor grill with removable cover
KidKraft Outdoor Cottage Clubhouse – Made of weather resistant sanmu wood and features a chalkboard and mailbox

If this isn’t the playhouse you’re looking for, then check out the others by Kidkraft.

The Little Tikes Cape Cottage Playhouse is a budget-friendly playhouse that’s also child-friendly and roomy enough for a child to comfortably play in. Would you prefer a playhouse with kitchenette, burners and a patio picnic table? The Little Tikes Picnic on the Patio Playhouse is something you may want to check out next.

Little Tikes Cape Cottage Playhouse – Available in 2 Colors

Little Tikes Play House 637902M – Tan

Features

Little Tikes aims at creating original and innovative high-quality children's products such as playhouses, sandboxes, ride-ons, climbers, slides, etc. It also manufactures school and learning accessories that include creative art and infant and preschool furniture. It’s the inventor of rotational plastic molding for children's products. It has earned brand loyalty from its customers through its sustained values of customer satisfaction, teamwork, innovation and continuous customer support. It’s the first toy company that created an on-site childcare center for its employees and used it as an avenue for testing all its toys before launching them into the market.

The Little Tikes Cape Cottage Playhouse is constructed of durable molded plastic that’s sturdy and stands the test of time. It’s an excellent playhouse that gives your toddler room to imitate what you do in the house. It’s convenient for both the outdoor and the indoor; the molded brick design gives it a feel of a country home. It’s easy to assemble and can be put together in 1 hour by one person, and is also portable, making it easy to move around. All screws involved in assembly are plastic which means that they won’t rust in the rain. There are no sharp corners inside the house that may hurt your little one; it’s child-friendly through and through. Finally, in addition to the flag stand and mailbox out front, the package comes with stickers, such as a house number, to paste on the playhouse.

Other options of playhouses from Little Tikes include the following:

Little Tikes Princess Cape Cottage Playhouse, Pink – Made with your little princess in mind
Little Tikes Deluxe Home and Garden Playhouse – Features and open design with multiple play areas and a mailbox
Little Tikes Go Green! Playhouse – Feature recycle bin, living roof and planting box

If this isn’t what you had in mind, then check out the other playhouses from Little Tikes.

Get the Best Play House of 2018!

Thank you for taking the time to go through our review of the best play houses for your kids. Now that you’ve made it this far, we believe you’ve decided on which one to purchase, so go ahead and make your purchase; you’ll be buying the right playhouse for your needs.
.

Our Top Choice

Backyard Discovery Timberlake Playhouse

Best Value

Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage II Playhouse

ECR4Kids Wilderness Log Cabin Playhouse

Kidkraft Outdoor Wooden Playhouse

Little Tikes Cape Cottage Playhouse