How to Build Indoor Wood Playhouses

Playhouses provides hours of fun and entertainment both outside and inside.

A children's playhouse fosters creativity and imaginative play. A well-built playhouse will offer hours of entertainment for children of all ages. Bad weather can limit a child's ability to use a playhouse outdoors, so building a playhouse indoors is practical and easy to do. With a plan and the right tools and equipment, anyone can build a playhouse a child would love.

Things You'll Need

• 3/4 plywood
• 1x1 wood nailers
• Hammer
• Nails
• Jig saw or hand saw
• Pencil
• Yardstick

Instructions

1. 

   The first two panels will be trimmed to form a peak for the roof.

   Purchase a pre-made playhouse kit, or make one yourself. The playhouse can be any size you choose, but start with two 3/4 inch plywood boards that measure at least three feet wide by four feet tall. Mark the middle point of the boards with a pencil and line up a yardstick to draw a sloped line from the top of the board to each side at about a 45 degree angle. Cut along this line using the power saw or a hand saw. The top of the boards will form the peak of a triangle, and these two sections will form the front and back of the playhouse.

2. 

   Plywood makes a durable playhouse both indoors and in outdoor weather.

   Cut two plywood boards to match the height of the front and rear sections just before the roof peak begins. The length can match the front and rear sections, or you may make the sides longer. With two inch nail spacing, nail 1 by 1 inch boards all the way around the front and rear panels 3/4 of an inch from the edge of the plywood. Position the side panels flush against the 1 by 1 inch boards, and attach the sides by driving a nail in every two inches through the plywood into the 1 by 1 inch boards.

3. 

   The playhouse roof will slope down from the peak just like a real roof.

   Cut two sections of plywood for the roof. They should match the length of the playhouse. Miter the top edges of the wood by trimming with a handsaw at a 45 degree angle. The angle will allow both pieces to fit flush at the peak of the roof once installed. Match up the mitred edges, and secure the roof panels to the top of the playhouse with nails spaced every two inches through the plywood into the 1 by 1 inch boards.

4. 

   Ask the children to help you design the window and door openings of their playhouse.

   Mark out openings for any doors and windows you may want to make, and cut them out using a hand saw or jig saw. Doors and windows can be any shape or size your imagination conceives.

5. 

   An indoor playhouse gives children a safe, secure environment all their own.

   Add decorative touches such as paint, siding, and window or door trim. An indoor playhouse does not necessarily require a floor, but you may build a simple floor support out of 2 by 4's spaced about 12 inches apart. Add a section of plywood to the floor framing and secure it to the playhouse with nails.

References

• Creatrop: DIY Indoor Playhouse
• Ron Hazelton's Housecalls: How to Build a Child's Playhouse
• Toddler Education Toys: Build It Myself Playhouse by Guidecraft