Outdoor Playhouse Blog

Everybody will cheer, “Your outdoor playhouse is totally awesome!” when they see your little girl’s cheerleader themed play place. Your favorite cheerleader and her cheerleading friends will have a rah-rah good time coming up with new and exciting cheers during their play dates. Children that cheer often have an abundance of energy and a real zeal for enjoying themselves. You can capture that liveliness and vivacity as you develop your plan for designing and decorating your little girl’s cheerleader cottage:

Pick paint that is bright, cheery, and lively. You may want to go with the colors of her favorite sports or cheerleading team if she prefers.  Some very feminine and popular colors include candy purple, electric blue, cotton candy pink, and sunshiny yellow. Use those colors either individually, paired with another high energy color like an ultra-white, or combine them to concoct funky patterns throughout the wooden playhouse.

Her cheerleader cottage kids play house should have plenty of mirrors! Create a wall of mirrors using a reflective, yet safe material. She and her friends will need to see how they look doing their different moves, making those funny cheerleading facial expressions, and watching as their hair whips around. It’s all a part of doing what it takes to be a fantastic cheerleader.

Load the outdoor playhouse up with pom poms. Use cheer inspired hooks on the walls for hanging up pom poms of different colors and sizes. You may even consider using pom poms as tie-backs for curtains.

Use cheerleader patterned fabrics for decorating and covering the outdoor play house furniture. Having smiling, splitting cheerleaders will serve to keep your daughter inspired when she’s playing and practicing. Another option for incorporating cheerleader themes into the playhouse for kids is to use wall decals that are shaped like megaphones, and speech bubbles. In fact, there should be a section of the kids playhouse wall where she and her friends can write cheer ideas.

Her outdoor playhouse will make a fabulous cheerleading cottage. In addition to the decor, be sure to include a dress up area, stocked with a myriad of cheerleading uniforms, hair bows, and even fake ponytails if she would like. Remember, cheerleading is a recognized sport. Her kids play house might be the training ground for the next big cheerleading star…your daughter!

Technorati Tags: Cheerleader theme, Decorating ideas for playhouses, Outdoor playhouse

Whether or not your outdoor playhouse was a gift for your little one this holiday season, it can still be decorated to resemble one. Most playhouses are shaped in a way that will make fashioning it to look like a present a simple and fun activity. Not only is gift-giving a hallmark of the holidays, it’s also one of the parts that children love the most about the season. Decorating the playhouse to look like a gift could also convey the message that it’s better to give when people see the large “package”.

To create the look, use some of these easy techniques and your family’s outdoor playhouse is sure to look like one of the best “presents” on the planet:

Use lights to resemble ribbon along the side and across the top of the outdoor playhouse. One way to do that is to select a contrasting color, for example, if the playhouse is blue, select white or bright red lights. You can keep it simple with a double strand of lights or you can make a more intricate design with the addition of a third strand.

Wrap the outside of the outdoor playhouse with exterior grade ribbon. This type of ribbon can be used for applications such as wreaths. Using floral wire or hobby wire, affix lengths of ribbon to the wire with hot glue or tape.  Shape the ribbon into huge bows of 2 to 3 feet each.  Then, place them atop the playhouse roof. Another option is the have the look culminating with the front door of the outdoor playhouse being finished with a bow.

If wrapping the whole playhouse seems daunting, just wrap the front door with a plastic coated wrapping paper and bow. This will make the door look as if you are entering a much anticipated gift.

An outdoor playhouse makes a marvelous platform for creating the look of a huge gift. Complete the look by placing empty, gift-wrapped boxes along the outside of the playhouse or use smaller ones to create a path leading up to the playhouse. The real gift will be the look on your child’s face when they see their outdoor playhouse decked for the holidays!

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An outdoor playhouse may seem like a great accessory to add to your own family’s yard, but its utility and appeal can also be enjoyed on a much larger level. It doesn’t have to be a one family thing. In fact, with all of the joy and happiness that a kids playhouse can bring, it seems just as valuable to add it into an area that is community based and accessible to a multitude of children.

A community or neighborhood garden is the perfect place for integrating a kids playhouse. Here are three ways that a children’s playhouse can be used to make a neighborhood garden turn from just a patch of dirt and plants into an amazing family retreat:

1. It will keep the children busy when parents have to focus on major gardening duties. A neighborhood garden requires many hands, but sometimes, those little hands can get a little bit in the way. When a team of neighbors are working on a large project, and the children have to be kept nearby, a kids playhouse will be perfect for everyone’s peace of mind.

2. Children will gather in an outdoor playhouse and enjoy the community garden. A neighborhood garden is not just for the adults, by providing a space for children to play as they also tend to the chore of maintaining the garden, it is likely that more children will become involved in this relationship building endeavor. After a few encounters with each other and the garden to spark lots of imaginative play, children will be able to forge their own relationships with each other.

3. An outdoor playhouse will add life to the garden and give older neighbors a chance to meet and play with their younger neighbors. For some older residents, there may not be other opportunities to be with children and to enjoy their youthful spirit. By providing the space for the kids in the community garden, the elderly population will be able to interact, teach them, and possibly even learn from them!

Technorati Tags: Community garden, gardening, Outdoor playhouse

An outdoor playhouse is a structure that will always attract gobs of attention from children and adults, alike. However, as a homeowner, to minimize the fact that it’s an additional structure on the property without diminishing the cool effect that it has on those that spot it, you may achieve the results that you want by taking steps to make the integration somewhat seamless. Try these small tricks to blend a kids outdoor playhouse into your yard while retaining its fun factor:

1. Create a landscape design that will serve to merge the outdoor playhouse with your home. Some homeowners that buy their kids a playhouse leave the space around it bare. Often, they will have cleared the space to allow for the footing and other construction needs that a playhouse may have. Leaving the space around it empty can take away from the yard making it look awkward. A little grass, trees, and plants can really make a huge difference in how the new structure fits. Plus, doing the landscape planning and design is a fantastic activity for parents and children to do together.

2. If you are concerned that the playhouse is too ostentatious, select colors or a style that will not be too showy.  Earth tones are wonderful for the outside of the outdoor playhouse, especially if it is surrounded by trees and grass. However, if your home is bright white, you may want the kids playhouse to be bright white also.  If your budget allows, together, with your child, decide if you want the playhouse to be a replica of your home, should it be unique and potentially more eye-catching, or should it be simply the same color but a different style. This can be a big decision for a family.  But, as a parent, always keep in mind that the outdoor playhouse should be fun and a space that your child will love!

Your child’s outdoor playhouse and your family’s home will be huge parts of their childhood memories. It will also be a big part of your memories of their childhood. Consider how you will feel in years to come if you weren’t comfortable with the play structure that you had. If you have any doubts, take steps to ensure that the outdoor playhouse that your family chooses fits into your yard and comfortably into your lives.

Technorati Tags: back yard landscaping, backyard, Before You Build Advice, Outdoor playhouse, Wooden playhouse

Making a kids outdoor playhouse into a little kids gymnasium is not as hard as it may seem. It can be done fairly simply and without a great expense.  Children need a daily dose of exercise and playing, of course. Imagine the fun that your children, along with your young neighbors will have as they put their time in and get in good workout right in your little neighborhood gym.  Even if you don’t set the entire outdoor playhouse up with exercise equipment, just dedicating one section could have the same effect. Here’s how to get started:

1. Keep things simple. Let your child coordinate the space according to their own fitness goals. For instance, one child may want to do more aerobic type of exercise, so a jump rope or mats for doing aerobic type of movements would work well. For strength training, workout elastics are great because they provide resistance, yet they are fairly cheap and don’t take up much room at all.

2. Keep safety first. A kids playhouse can be just about anything, but if the environment is not safe, then all of the fun can quickly go away. So, if your child wants to make his or her kids playhouse into a gym, stress the importance of safety with your child. Some items that will help with safety are having towels available to clean up wet areas from sweating. You may also need to keep disinfectant wipes available for wiping down equipment and other areas that could be subject to bacteria.

3. Make sure there are mirrors all over the walls of the kids outdoor playhouse! Kids love to watch as they workout. Whether they are doing body builder poses or simply likes to see themselves jumping up and down, having mirrors on the wall makes fitness a wild and wacky adventure.

4. Choose bright colors for the kids playhouse that energize! From the fixtures to the flooring, having exciting colors will get every one psyched up for a good workout. Dull, dark colors will not entice the children.

5. Let your child have a little “Juice Bar”, where he or she can mix different healthy drinks for the friends that visit their little gym. Kids love mixing stuff and you can use little juice box drinks to keep things whimsical and age appropriate.

6. Provide music and videos in the kids playhouse that your child can enjoy. One of the best parts about working out is using really cool music to jog, jump, or dance to. Videos are also great because kids can learn how to properly execute different fitness moves.

A kids outdoor playhouse can do double duty as a little kids gym with just a few small tweaks to the items that you have in it. From crazy juice concoctions to mastering wild and funky aerobic moves, any child that “joins” your child’s gym is sure to have a heart-healthy good time!

Technorati Tags: Exercise, Healthy, outdoor play, Outdoor playhouse

Building an outdoor playhouse can be very rewarding for both you and your child, especially when the playhouse is finished.  You get the satisfaction of completing an awesome structure and it’ll be a playhouse that your child will absolutely love and be able to play in for many years into the future.

But before you build an outdoor playhouse, what kind of advice can be given to the average do-it-yourself builder who is constructing a kids playhouse for the first time?  The number one most powerful thing to know when building an outdoor play house is to check your local building codes before you begin to build anything.

This is especially true if you are considering adding a concrete building pad for the playhouse.  When you lay concrete, you are increasing the non-drainage or impervious surface area on your lot.

Most municipalities have a defined allowable single-family residential impervious surface rules that are based on a property’s lot size.  Impervious surface refers to the percentage of a lot covered by surfaces such as buildings, patios and driveway concrete that prevent or alter the flow and absorption of rain and snow.

In many areas, the residential property owners are limited to 25 percent impervious coverage. In some cases, older homes can be grandfathered in, but cannot exceed their existing percentage.

Usually, to be able to extend impervious surfacing beyond the minimum percentage, a homeowner must obtain a conditional use permit or a variance from the city.

You may have heard horror stories where impervious areas had to be removed or structures taken down to adhere to the local building code.

Don’t get into situations where you may or may not be following your local building codes.  Don’t guess.  A simple call to the local zoning office will clarify whether your proposed concrete platform for your outdoor playhouse will be following building codes.  Once you know the building code requirements, you can figure out whether your specific property lot size falls within those requirements.

Moving forward with the construction of the outdoor playhouse will be less stressful once you know you are following and adhering to your local building codes!

Technorati Tags: Before You Build Advice, Building codes, Children's playhouse, Impervious Surface, Outdoor playhouse

Complimenting your child’s outdoor playhouse and the space that it occupies is a lot simpler than you probably thought possible. All it takes is a little time and a lot of seeds?!?! Yes, seeds. Your child can completely reconfigure the area around his or her playhouse by starting a vegetable and herb garden.  Here are a few reasons why you should really consider working with your child to convert that beautiful land into something extra special:

Gardening is great exercise! You and your child will get a good workout as you dig, pull, and tend to the veggies and herbs that you are growing. All of that bending and, most importantly, the fantastic stretching that your lungs will get while you breathe fresh air! The amount of time that you spend could depend on the size of the space that you want to dedicate alongside your child’s outdoor playhouse.

Gardening will yield healthy foods that your family needs and enjoys! Introducing children to the wonderful world of veggies brings with it a wealth of food choices as they grow. Children that plant a garden alongside their outdoor playhouse will love being able to eat the foods that they worked so hard to cultivate. Vegetables have lots of character. They can be hard and crunchy. They can be soft and mushy. Plant herbs and vegetables that your family already enjoys, and add in a few different vegetables to expose them to different varieties.

Gardens are perfect for exploring your child’s creative side! Color abounds in a well organized garden. From the bright red tomatoes that grow in clusters to the beautiful orange carrot tops that sprinkle the ground, the fantastic array of colors that surround their outdoor playhouse will make your child want to spend hours upon hours in their playhouse and tending to their gorgeous garden.

Your child’s outdoor playhouse will be completely surrounded by what may look like an artist’s palette when everything has grown. It will be time well spent with your child and they will never forget the experience. In time, when they are all grown up, they may use their own child’s outdoor playhouse to anchor their own family’s garden!

Technorati Tags: Kids outdoor play, outdoor play, outdoor play house, Outdoor playhouse, Wooden playhouse

As a parent, you want your child to experience the best– the best education, the best clothes, the best food, and the best kids playhouse. That’s why for your outdoor playhouse, you need to consider the following safety factors:

Kids have a lot of energy and tend to be rambunctious.   So you need to ensure that the playhouse is in a safe location. The location should be within view of the main house.  Ensure that the kids playhouse is close enough for you to keep an eye out for the kids. Not only would that let you know when the kids are getting hungry or sleepy, it would also help you prevent them from getting into too much mischief. What’s more! Your proximity to the kids would keep unsafe elements away from them.

Next, it should not be near areas that you do not want disturbed.  For example, don’t put the playhouse near the garden with your prized rose bushes.  More than likely that the kids will wander into this area to build a nature walking trail with their friends. Not only will that destroy the bushes, but your kids will also be scratched by thorns, which might hurt them badly.

Another important aspect to consider with an outdoor playhouse is that it should be sturdy and have a good foundation. It won’t do to have one of the walls unstable while the children are playing. Children test the boundaries and stretch the limits and a kids playhouse is not an exception to these rules.

Lastly, look for specific items that could cause cuts, bumps or bruises.  If you have a wooden playhouse, be sure that any nails are not exposed.  Additionally, make sure that beams or overhangs are not too low that the kids can bump their heads.

Giving your kids the best outdoor playhouse also means making sure it is safe for your children.

Technorati Tags: Kids outdoor play, Outdoor playhouse, play houses, Wooden playhouse

Here’s an outdoor playhouse that is unique in that it is a Bavarian-style theme. 

If you want to see more, got to http://www.kidsplayhouseblog.com

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