Playhouse Ideas

Include a quaint playhouse for kids in your yard.

By Kelly Roberson

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Adorable Abode

Charming Cottage

Welcome Home

Oh, the Places You'll Go

Perfect Proportions

Bewitching Barnyard

Room with a View

Open for Play

A Home in the Woods

From up Among the Boughs

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Adorable Abode

A few extra architectural features add grown-up style to this playhouse.

Used in place of an overhanging roof, a trellis can shelter the front door and train a flowering plant for shade.
Playhouses can be petite or full-height; the latter provides plenty of ceiling space for a get-away-from-it-all loft.
Window boxes offer a low-key way to integrate plants into a playhouse; this one is painted the same color as the trim work for visual continuity.
Wiring for electricity adds costs; instead, choose battery- or solar-operated lanterns to brighten a doorway.
Define a landing with pavers. Bonus: It helps keep soil out of the playspace

If you have kids, you might have a dog. Learn how to help your landscape and dog peacefully co-exist.

Charming Cottage

Delightful details dress up this playhouse.

A portal window up top brightens the interior of a playhouse.
The most charming playhouses replicate their charming, big-size homes. Here, the bay window does just that, with a three-side view from inside the playspace.
Architectural details, such as knobs on railing end pieces and curling brackets in the porch roof, add authenticity to playhouse design.
A different paving material under the playhouse offers two benefits: It separates the structure from the rest of the yard and elevates it above-grade.
A few planted elements, including window boxes and small containers, soften the edges of the small building.

Welcome Home

Attractive finishes captivate both young and old with this playhouse.

To simplify a playhouse's design, choose materials and a color palette that match the home's structures. Here, accent brick and gray stucco mirror details from the playhouse's larger version.
With the top open, a Dutch door offers an additional way to ensure air circulation through the small space of a playhouse.
If a playhouse will be used year-round, consider wiring for electricity to increase playtime hours.
If budget allows, screens on playhouse windows work wonders to maximize airflow and keep out critters and bugs.
Patterns and textures -- the repeating bricks in the corners, the roof, even the chimney -- are key in the appeal of this playhouse.

Oh, the Places You'll Go

A fanciful playhouse design offers plenty of space for childhood fun.

The playhouse's eccentricity extends to the walkway, part graduated wood path, part randomly mortared mosaic tiles.
The site of a playhouse depends on budget constraints, elements in the yard, and imagination. This playhouse takes advantage of an old tree trunk to loft a structure.
The details of a playhouse can reinforce the sense of childhood whimsy, such as the geometry of this siding and windows.
Another benefit of lofting a playhouse: More square footage for kids to play in, particularly if the first "floor" is finished.
Bright colors offer a way for a playhouse to blend into the yard or stand out. In the case, it's the latter, a barn-red hue on the second story makes a statement.

Perfect Proportions

The playhouse design offers classic appeal.

The more a playhouse is integrated into a landscape, the less jarring its inclusion. This one is nestled in as a natural part of the large flowerbed, with pavers delineating its border.
A sense of symmetry dominates, with dual sets of operable windows and porch railings.
Extras need not be useable, as in the case of this tiny -- non-functioning -- front porch.
A good spot for a playhouse: Backing up a playhouse to a fence offers a border for kids and a convenient way to shield a back facade.
Keep the plantings around a playhouse kid-hardy and colorful.

Bewitching Barnyard

This playhouse offers a visually arresting scene reminiscent of the bucolic countryside.

A playhouse can be used to define a kids' area, particularly if its border or fence, extends for a bit of paved, play-friendly yard
An elevated platform (here, a painted concrete pad) protects a playhouse from damage.
Details -- a weathervane, climbing rope, and "sheep welcome" sign -- add character.
If a playhouse includes a second floor, use a built-in ladder for easy access. Include a safety rail to prevent falls.
Perfect in its rural setting, this playhouse architecture is reminiscent of an old barn.

Room with a View

A playhouse receives a welcome lift.

Elevating a playhouse has two advantages: It stirs the imagination of little ones and protects the base of the building from decay.
An extra-tall railing defines a porch and adds a layer of safety.
A trellis or other freestanding structure helps define a play area or entrance to a play structure, as demonstrated here.
Restrained use of color -- here, around the trim work -- adds a welcome, but not overwhelming, pop.
Use plants to discreetly shield a playhouse from view and make it less obtrusive in the landscape

Open for Play

An endearing playhouse provides a garden with plenty of drawing power.

In tune with the design of its gardens, the architecture of a playhouse offers a sweet addition to the landscape.
Operable shutters and screens offer protection for the building's interior.
Most playhouses offer a single door or a charming Dutch door. This playhouse includes a screened door to allow kids to keep the front open without letting in bugs.
If a playhouse is integrated into the garden, its placement is important. Here, the playhouse serves as focal point at the end of the path.
A paved patio at the building's front offers a spot for a small table and chairs.

A Home in the Woods

A modest playhouse provides the key to a complicated yard.

How a playhouse is sited in the landscape can help to solve a thorny problem, such as a difficult-to-plant slope. Here, a little shed backs up to a shaded, steep section of the garden.
Latticework hides the open space beneath the playhouse. Another idea: Include operable sections in the latticework to store seasonal garden items.
If a playhouse includes a useable porch, it should be deep enough to hold a chair and a container or two.
A defined pathway to the playhouse comes courtesy of circular paving stones with a few shade-hardy plants lined on either side.
In place of screens, operable shutters offer shelter for the interior of a playhouse.

From up Among the Boughs

A treetop location offers an updated twist on the traditional tree house.

Before deciding to build a playhouse in the timbers of a tree, examine the branches to make sure it is structurally sound.
To minimize visual disruption, both the tree house and play area elements are in neutral browns and creams.
In place of a separate playscape, a slide, swing, and other features are integrated as part of the structure.
Supporting beams for the structure are timbers, to better visually integrate with the tree.
A super-sturdy (and tall) railing protects kids playing high in the playhouse.

Playhouse Ideas

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