How to Build a Play House on a Budget
Play House is an immersive roleplaying game that encourages children to use their imaginations and process information. It’s a fun way to learn about family roles and responsibilities, as well as other aspects of life such as chores and household tasks. In addition to learning important skills, play also promotes emotional regulation and social competence.
The first ever Play House was built in the backyard of a home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by a family with six kids in 1909. The company originally rented space in a farmhouse, but when audiences became too large the theater moved to a former Lutheran church on Cedar Avenue and East 73rd Street. It eventually expanded to two theatres, one with a capacity of 532 and the other 160 seats.
If you want to give your child a creative space where they can practice their imaginative and social skills, you can create a playhouse on a budget. Cardboard boxes, plastic crates and even a few chairs can all become furniture for your kids’ playhouse. Adding dolls and stuffed animals to the mix will help them immerse themselves in their make-believe world. Old clothes, shoes and hats will also encourage them to act out their role.
Creating a simple structure can help your kids focus their attention on the game. You can also encourage them to make up their own House Rules to add an extra layer of challenge and intrigue to the experience. This is similar to how the older generation of RPGs worked, where rules weren’t set in stone and it was up to the Games Master (or players) to come up with rulings for things that didn’t appear in the rule book.
Playing with toy kitchen items will inspire children to act out food-related make-believe, such as inviting friends over for dinner or taking turns playing mom and dad. But they don’t have to have any toys at all to play house. Kids have a natural desire to play with the grown-ups in their lives, and can pretend to be their parents when they are at school, at work or visiting the doctor’s office.
If you have a little bit more time and money to invest, this charming cottage playhouse from The House of Wood can be customized to suit your child’s tastes. The detailed tutorial includes full color photos and step-by-step instructions so that you can build your own dream playhouse with ease. If you’re a beginner, try using this playhouse as a chance to learn or practice sewing skills like lining pattern pieces and stitching in buttons and loops. You can also decorate your playhouse with a few of your favorite kid’s toys. Just remember that overcrowding the space with too many toys can overwhelm younger kids, so rotate the items out periodically.
