The main reason to buy a log cabin playhouse is because of the durability.  Playhouses are usually installed outside in the yard, and are exposed to the elements of mother nature.  The durability of wood, and it's natural ability to withstand the harsh punishment that being outside for years can provide is the main reason to many people are deciding to purchase wood playhouses, over the other types of materials being used to produce them.  Even steel and metal have a hard time comparing against the natural ability of wood to fight off even the worst winters, and harshest summers.

Durability isn't the only feature that wooden and log cabin playhouses have going for them.  Installing one of these playsets is a breeze, and is a great way to get your children involved and learning how to properly construct something that they will enjoy for a long time to come.  They can bang away with a hammer on these types of playhouses, without fear of destroying the paint or powdercoat on it.  Spending their energy, and learning something new is what purchasing a log cabin playhouse and then installing it yourself means to your children, something that they aren't soon going to forget.

A log cabin playhouse also give you the option of being able to upgrade and add on to them whenever you or your children see fit.  As your children grow, and their imagination takes hold, they are probably going to want some additions installed to help them further enjoy the playhouse.  Thankfully, once you already have the base log cabin playhouse installed, you can then simply buy kits to add on new rooms, and other additions like slides, swings, monkey bars, etc.  As you can see, a log cabin playhouse is a great way for your kids to use their imagination, and spend up all of their energy.

Storage is a huge issue with childrens playhouses, as most of them are created of either wood or metal.  When it comes to setting up a metal or wood playset, it usually takes more than a few hours to complete, and once finished, is not going to be easy to take down.  These play sets have to be built sturdy, and they are meant to remain permanent, but this is a problem for a lot of people.  Living in apartment complexes, and other areas where you are forced to pay rent instead of owning the property means that you can't always install a permanent playhouse for your kids.

The costs associated with a permanent playhouse is another factor that keeps people from purchasing them.  The prices of inflatable playhouses are substantially lower, with some costing less than $100.  You are going to want to make sure that you get a high quality pump with your playhouse though, as taking it down and putting it back up can cause a lot of stress to weaker blowers, and will force you to replace it in short time.

Giving your kids a place to run and play, spread their wings, build their imagination, and let off some of their spent up energy is something that all parents want to do.  Most parents don't have the space to install something like this for their children, and are finding out that an inflatable playhouse are a great way to still give their kids access to playing outside, in a safe environment, without having to pay hundreds of dollars to have a playset installed.  When it comes time to change houses or apartments, you can simply load the box up and take it with you, instead of having to pay hundreds of dollars again to have the playset taken down, and then reinstalled.

Before explaining the advantages of wooden playhouses in particular, it is best to describe the advantages inherent in the basic concept of any outdoor playhouse. Contrary to common belief, a child’s playtime is not just a way for the child to entertain him or herself when they have nothing to do. In fact, this behavior is a vital part of early development. Children are naturally motivated to engage in play for two reasons: because it exposes them to different external stimuli and situations, preparing them to handle similar situations later in life, and because it requires them to exercise certain imaginative mental processes, which develops creative ability.

Different types of play help in the development of a child’s creative abilities to different degrees, and it has been shown that the playful activities that involve the most imagination are most beneficial in this respect. With this fact in mind, it can be seen that activities such as video games and board games are not as effective in terms of creative development as activities that require the child to use their imagination to entertain themselves, such as playing in an outdoor playhouse. This is because the former types of play include predetermined goals that the kids do not have to invent themselves, whereas the latter type of play requires kids to think of what to do on their own. Since the outdoor playhouse is one such non-directional toy, playing in it stimulates kids’ imagination and helps them to develop creative abilities.

While the material that is used to make an outdoor playhouse has little effect on how kids will play with it, and therefore a negligible effect on their creative development, there are other distinct advantages that go along with different building materials. Generally, outdoor playhouses are made from wood, plastic, or, less commonly, metal, and in most circumstances, wooden outdoor playhouses are the best. At first glance it may appear that the metal and plastic varieties would last longer than the wooden varieties because, unlike the two former materials, wood is biodegradable, but the wood is almost always treated, so in practice, plastic outdoor playhouses tend to wear out and metal outdoor playhouses tend to get rusty before wooden outdoor playhouses wear out. Wood is also more flexible than the other materials, so outdoor playhouses made from it break less easily.

If you want a metal or plastic outdoor playhouse, you will have to spend money on it, and they are usually rather expensive (around a thousand dollars), but with a wood outdoor playhouse, you have the option of building it yourself. This gives you the advantage of being able to design the structure specifically to suit your kids.

A wooden outdoor playhouse is a great toy for any parent to give his or her kids. It provides an entertaining and stimulating play area that can help children to develop their imagination and creativity, with the added benefit that it is located outdoors, which encourages exercise and active play behaviors. Wooden playhouses have many advantages over outdoor playhouses that were made using different materials.

I've narrowed it down to three. This one, "Welcome Home Playhouse" would be great for either a girl or a boy. The "Little Tikes Endless Adventures Tikes Town" is roomy and diverse, and the "Ferber Activity Train" looks like so much fun.

All three are in my price range. All three have detail pictures that include the interiors and features. I wish I could buy all three, but I have to choose just one or maybe I don't have to choose. Maybe my inner child should be called upon to make the decision.

If I could fit into one these exciting looking playhouse, which would I want to do first? Would I want to crawl through the Ferber Activity Train or jump off its durable roof? Or I could answer the phone that really rings in Little Tikes Endless Adventure Tikes Town. Or I could play house and make imaginary dinner in the Welcome Home Playhouse.

Playing house doesn't sound as much fun to me as all the things I want to explore in the four-sided Little Tikes Town Playhouse. One side has a market with a window. Another side is school, which would make me more excited about going to school for real and less scared about being away from home. Across from that wall, there's the sports wall with a net I could kick or throw balls into it. They also talk about some games, but I can't figure out from the pictures what kind of games are on that wall. Another side has a gas station with another window and outside there's a faux gasoline nozzle. I could pretend to fill up my imaginary Porsche, but in ten or fifteen years when this child starts to drive, will we still have to fill up with gas and will sports car still be around?

Looking again at the Ferber Activity Train, I don’t think it would be all that much fun to play in it alone. It's a lot of running, jumping, and crawling. That's always more fun in a group. The Tikes Town and the Welcome Home could be hours of fun with a doll, or an imaginary friend, or with real friends.

I'm not sure why playing house doesn't sound like fun to me. Maybe too many of my years were spent keeping house instead of playing it. As for worrying about raising a child's expectation about fueling up a car for real, we'll probably have to put something in our transportation in the future. Plus, the child who plays with Tikes Town, will understand what their elders are talking about when we say, "I remember when I could fill up for a hundred bucks."

"Little Tikes Endless Adventures Tikes Town" is among the best of the playhouses on the market. It's durable and versatile. I could have fun for days in this special little playhouse. It fuels the imagination of my old inner child, and I almost wish I were a kid again, but I'll be happy to just sit back to watch my grandkids enjoy playing at being a grocer, an athlete, a mechanic, or play at being in school as a student or a teacher. I can't wait to see how they take to their outdoor playhouse plastic!

Source: Karen Jacobs