PlayHouse for your Toddler

Make a Playhouse for your toddler from recycled cardboard boxes

Playhouses are a favourite with toddlers. It gives them a place of their own and wings to their imagination. See your baby taking care of the house, decorate it and make it truly her own.

But playhouses available in market are usually very expensive and after a while when your kid is bored of it, it is also difficult to dispose as it takes lots of space in your kid’s room. Instead, you can make your own inexpensive playhouse using packaging boxes. This is not only easy on your pocket but also good for environment as you are recycling waste. It also gives a chance to you and your child to decorate it in the way you want it instead of ready-made accessories available off the shelf, which others also have.

Find here more ideas on inexpensive toys for baby and toddlers.

Things you will need to make this are :

Large packing cardboard box. You can make as big or as small house as your box.

Packing or scotch or duct tape

Strong glue

Old newspapers

White chart paper

Colored papers and stickers for decoration. You can also use your own pictures or clips out of magazines. You can also paint the house in your favorite color and designs

Scissors, paper knife etc.

Process

1) First of all, make a structure out of the cardboard box. If you have the exact size, well and good, otherwise you must cut pieces of desired size join them. Make the four walls first.

2) Use lots of scotch tape to join the pieces together and make them strong.

3) Cut out windows and door on the walls as desired.

4) Measure and two equal pieces to make the sloping roof. Secure well using scotch tape.

5) Once your basic structure is ready, use paper mache technique to make it stronger.

6) Tear random pieces of newspaper about four inches in width.

7) Make a mixture of half glue and half water.

8) Wet newspaper pieces in glue mixture and paste over joints of cardboard. Repeat this for 4-5 layers.

9) Let it dry completely. If you want, you can add more layers to make it even stronger.

10) Let the structure dry out completely before starting decoration.

Decoration

Decorating the playhouse is completely up to you, but here are some suggestions.

1) If you want to paint the walls, cover the structure first with white A4 sheets or chart paper. Then paint it in colors and designs of your choice. You can also get your kids to do this.

2) If you are using paper to cover the walls, use two sheets of different colors to cover the walls.

3) Stick your child’s favourite cartoon characters on the walls.

4) You could also paste some picture of your family and write your kid’s name.

5) You could also hang a bell at the door or put a nameplate.

6) Throw some cozy old blankets on the floor with some stuffed toys and see your child enjoy.

Have you made a playhouse for your child? We will be happy to showcase yours on ShishuWorld.