Why Kids Love to Play House
Children learn through curiosity, imagination and action. Pretending or imaginative play, like playing house, helps develop cognitive and social-emotional skills, improves language, encourages problem solving and more. For many young kids, their favorite place to play is in a playhouse.
Playing house allows them to experiment with and practice adult roles, such as mommy and daddy. This role-play helps them to understand the world around them, including work and home life, and how people interact in it. It also gives them a safe environment to act out feelings that may be too difficult for them to express in words.
When children play house, they also learn how to take turns and share responsibility. For example, if one child wants to be the dad and the other child wants to be the baby, they have to learn how to negotiate and decide who will do what and when. This teaches them to collaborate and share in ways that they may not have learned before, such as through other structured group activities like team sports.
Whether you’re building your kids an indoor or outdoor wooden playhouse, you’ll want to make sure it will be big enough to provide plenty of room for kids to climb and explore. You’ll also want to make sure that your kids have access to water and sand, which can help them build fine motor skills, while also providing an opportunity for sensory play.
A good playhouse should be built to last and able to be used for years. You’ll want to look for a playhouse that’s durable, easy to keep clean and offers opportunities to add additional features, such as a slide or climbing wall. You’ll also want to ensure that it is safe for your kids to play in, and that it will meet any space requirements you have for your yard or living room.
For a more sustainable playhouse, you can use recycled cardboard to create an indoor or outdoor playhouse. To make a recycled cardboard playhouse, first prepare your materials. You’ll need a large cardboard box, all-purpose glue, scissors or a box-cutter and tape. Then, cut a door out of the bottom of one side and as many windows as you want to create. To add a finishing touch, you can paint or decorate your new playhouse with the colors and patterns of your choice.
Paper Mill has been at the forefront of accessibility, and is a leader in presenting Sensory-Friendly Performances for children on the Autism Spectrum. Additionally, the theatre has been at the forefront of presenting new musicals and is the first theater in the United States to present Disney Theatrical Productions on a national tour.
The Cleveland Play House has yet to respond to accusations by actor Stori Ayers that the theatre mishandled the assault of an actor and mistreats artists of color. Ayers revoked the rights to the production of I’m Back Now in response. The theatre says they’ve offered Ayers support and assistance in filing a police report, but she declined.
