How to Build an Outdoor Playroom

Your kids love playing outside, but there are some things they like to do inside so why not build a playroom where kids can be inside while outside. A playroom is also a great place for kids to keep their outdoor toys.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Choose an area in your back yard that is flat, has plenty of light, has good drainage and is in a safe area away from any pools. Determine the size of the room you want before you begin and decide if you want windows.

2. Build a wooden frame for a one-story playroom using two by four boards. Add particle board or fabricated plywood for walls. Leave openings for windows. Cover the holes with acrylic sheets or glass.

3. Lay a wooden floor inside the playroom, unless you chose to build a concrete foundation first. Create a ceiling from plywood and add shingles to keep the elements out.

4. Make a larger playroom, like a two-story playroom with an open bottom. You can build a sandbox on the bottom which will be protected from the rain by the top of the building. Install four wooden stilts and build a fort style playroom over the sandbox.

5. Include a ladder from the sandbox that goes up into the playroom. You can place the ladder at the front of the playroom which goes into a door or you can create a trap door through the bottom of the fort so kids can enter from underneath.

6. Add shelves along one wall of the playroom so your children can keep toys inside. Paint the playroom in bright colors that kids enjoy but make sure you pick a color that matches your house and yard furniture.

7. Plant a garden around the playroom. Let the kids pick out the flowers and help you with the planting. They can make this their own garden where they are responsible for the tending, watering and weeding.

Tips & Warnings

• Use building materials that will stand up to the weather in your area.
• Insulate your walls if you use real glass for the windows and you live in a cold area, because the glass can crack in cold weather.