How to Build a Unique Playhouse for Kids
Creative projects with your kids inspire imagination and produce memorable moments. What better way to spark hours of fun and entertainment than by building a specialized playhouse for you and the kids to enjoy. If you are not particularly handy with wood, hammer and nails, create a cardboard playhouse. Your kids can decorate this type of playhouse and make it unique to their personalities. The cardboard playhouse does not last for an eternity, but when it gets worn down, you can always create a new, better playhouse.
Things You'll Need
- Large cardboard box, smaller boxes
- Hot glue gun
- Duct tape
- Nontoxic indoor paint
- Crayons or markers
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Utility knife
Instructions
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Buy a large cardboard box from the hardware store or locate a used appliance box in the cardboard recycle bin. The easiest way to obtain the box is by purchasing it at the hardware store. If you prefer the challenge, ask permission from local retail stores, particularly those that sell large items, to peruse the dumpster where they discard the boxes. The larger the box, the bigger the playhouse. You can also obtain some smaller boxes to use as props and furniture in the playhouse.
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Cut a door and windows in the box. Before you secure the box, map out the location of the door and windows. Draw the outlines and use your utility knife to cut even lines. Leave one side of the door attached so that it can open and close.
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Choose your paint colors and paint the outside of the box. Let your kids pick the colors and decorative schemes but discuss this before you go to the store. You might need specific art supplies to create a unique exterior for the playhouse. If you intend to let the kids paint, color and decorate the box, it is easiest to do this before you put it upright. Let each side dry thoroughly before turning the box to its other sides for decoration.
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Construct the box playhouse in an upright position and secure it with the hot glue gun and duct tape. Use the bottom and top openings of the box as the roof and floor. For the floor, close the flaps as tightly as possible. Use the duct tape on the underside that will not be seen, to secure the flaps seamlessly together. For the roof, you can either make the playhouse a flattop or give it peaks by angling the flaps into a triangle shape. Peaks give the playhouse a taller feel when the kids are inside and also provide more room so they don't have to squat to avoid hitting the ceiling while playing. Cut a spare piece of cardboard to shape and fit it in the gap created by forming a peaked roof. Secure the roof with the hot glue.
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Decorate and have fun. Once the structure of the playhouse is secure, involve the kids in the rest of the decorating process. Use the extra cardboard to form furniture and create drapes with the fabric. Encourage the kids to add more decorative flair inside the playhouse.
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Tips & Warnings
A cardboard playhouse is eco-friendly and easy to dispose of once it is worn out.
Create playhouse themes based on your kids' favorite characters by using magazine cutouts or pictures to wallpaper the interior.
If you have small children, do not let them near the dangerous tools that can cause harm, such as the utility knife, glue gun and scissors.
References
- Photo Credit Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images
