There is something magical about a wooden cabin in the woods, and though it is only a summer destination for most of us, the desire to be in a cozy cabin is universal. Thanks to innovations in playhouses, the classic wooden look is achievable, at least for your kids to enjoy. In this article, we will give you a list of the 7 best wooden outdoor playhouse for kids and the kids at heart.
Wood gives any playhouse a charming yet realistic look and a rustic feel that taps into their creative minds. Will this house be safehouse? Or a secret clubhouse? The assembly may be a challenge, but the effort will be worth it after seeing the surprised look on your children’s faces. Our picks for the 7 best wooden outdoor playhouse will include a surprise pick in the end, both unexpected yet original.
Comparison Chart
IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | PRICE |
---|---|---|---|
OUR TOP PICK | Backyard Discovery Sweetwater All Cedar Wooden Playhouse | It’s breezy and fun with the Backyard Discovery Sweetwater All Cedar Wooden Playhouse. With all full open windows, your children can have natural light streaming in while they’re playing house in the outdoors. | |
RUNNER UP | KidKraft Modern Outdoor Wooden Playhouse | Take your child’s imagination to the next level with the KidKraft Modern Outdoor Wooden Playhouse featuring a whole new range of accessories your kids are sure to love. | |
ALSO GREAT | Garden Games Evermeadow Wooden Playhouse | Do you feel like making a more realistic wooden cabin for your kids? Then the Garden Games Evermeadow Wooden Playhouse is just right for you! With its fun, exciting features, your kids are sure to enjoy it. | |
Backyard Discovery Victorian Inn All Cedar Outdoor Wooden Playhouse | Is it possible to make wooden playhouses fancier than they already are? Yes, it is with the Backyard Discovery Victorian Inn All Cedar Outdoor Wooden Playhouse, featuring a Victorian design, your kids will definitely beg to stay in the outdoors more. | ||
KidKraft Hillcrest Wooden Outdoor Playhouse with EZ Kraft Assembly | Introduce your children to exciting playhouse dimensions with the KidKraft Hillcrest Wooden Outdoor Playhouse with EZ Kraft Assembly. It has a pet door, a bench, and an overhang for the entryway. | ||
Backyard Discovery Timberlake All Cedar Wood Playhouse | Giving your kids a cozy space to enjoy playtime takes their imagination to new heights, and that is what the Backyard Discovery Timberlake All Cedar Wood Playhouse does. And with kitchen accessories and a daintily designed front door, they’re off to an exciting start. | ||
Step2 Happy Home Cottage & Grill Kids Playhouse | We’ve been talking about wooden playhouses until now, but before you skip this part, let us tell you all the wonderful things the Step2 Happy Home Cottage & Grill Kids Playhouse can do! |
A Detailed Review On The 7 Best Wooden Outdoor Playhouse
Backyard Discovery Sweetwater All Cedar Wooden Playhouse
It’s breezy and fun with the Backyard Discovery Sweetwater All Cedar Wooden Playhouse. With all full open windows, your children can have natural light streaming in while they’re playing house in the outdoors.
Product Highlights
To start off our list of the 7 best wooden outdoor playhouse, is this classic wooden house featuring wide windows and a snack window for your children’s pretend cooking session. The Backyard Discovery Sweetwater All Cedar Wooden Playhouse includes cooking accessories, a cordless phone, and a doorbell to encourage a realistic outdoor play session.
The Good
If you’re worried about assembly, don’t be. This 100% Cedarwood house is supported by an interactive Bilt app that gives you step-by-step instructions for a quick and smooth setup. The pre-stained Cedarwood provides the house with a nice aesthetic touch, and the pre-stained ad pre-drilled panels allow for easy assembly.
The Bad
The Backyard Discovery Sweetwater All Cedar Wooden Playhouse does not come with anchors. If you prefer a house that is anchored securely to the ground, you will have to buy this at your local home improvement store. Some of the wood may also appear warped due to shipping though it doesn’t affect function.
PROs
- It has wide windows that allow a fresh breeze and a lot of natural light
- It includes cooking accessories, a phone, and a doorbell for realistic play
- The beautiful half-door of the house allows easy access and adds an aesthetic touch to the backyard
- The Sweetwater house’s assembly is made easy through a Bilt app with its pre-cut and pre-drilled wooden panels
CONs
- Some of the wooden pieces don’t fit and may need some cutting
- Some wooden pieces split when screws are in place
- Replacement parts for some items take too long to arrive
KidKraft Modern Outdoor Wooden Playhouse
Take your child’s imagination to the next level with the KidKraft Modern Outdoor Wooden Playhouse featuring a whole new range of accessories your kids are sure to love.
Product Highlights
Do you know what’s better than a wooden house? A wooden house with a cute dainty extension! This modern outdoor playhouse has an espresso picnic table with two benches attached to it for a fun snack time.
The Good
Wood can be an issue when it comes to weather, but the KidKraft Modern Outdoor Wooden Playhouse has water-resistant and reinforced wooden panels that prevent warping and the effects of weathering. It comes with a classic furnished look that makes it a beautiful aesthetic addition for the backyard.
The Bad
The set for this wooden playhouse is a challenge to assemble. The wood is not pre-assembled, which requires a lot of technical work done like measuring. When exposed to heavy weather conditions, you may also see signs of wear in the roof that may need reconditioning.
PROs
- It has a picnic table extension so more children can enjoy the house
- The house comes with fabric curtains for sunny glares
- The house comes with accessories like a mailbox and an outdoor grill with a removable lid for a fun cooking session
- The house comes with a front door that has a realistic open and close mechanism
CONs
- Some panels will show signs of weathering when exposed to extreme temperatures
- Some boards appear warped during shipping but will not affect functionality
- Some users had to add a base to make the design more secure
Garden Games Evermeadow Wooden Playhouse
Do you feel like making a more realistic wooden cabin for your kids? Then the Garden Games Evermeadow Wooden Playhouse is just right for you! With its fun, exciting features, your kids are sure to enjoy it.
Product Highlights
This cozy house, made of quality fir wood, makes it an excellent play space for your children outdoors. It is one of our picks for the 7 best wooden outdoor playhouse because it comes with flooring for stability. It is also a blank canvass so the whole family can bond over a fun painting session.
The Good
The Garden Games Evermeadow Wooden Playhouse comes with easy-to-assemble equipment and panels that come together smoothly. The instruction includes a detailed step-by-step plan that you can set up within an hour. This spacious house is excellent for children 18 months and up.
The Bad
Although the house is spacious, it is big enough for other kids to enjoy. Users recommend tweaking roof space so that older kids or taller kids can enjoy it. This way, it also takes a long time before children grow out of the playhouse.
PROs
- It has flooring for clean play space and a stable base
- It is spacious and excellent for children 18 months and up
- It is a blank canvas that you can easily paint for customization
- The house comes with easy instructions and wooden panels that come together easily
CONs
- The wood needs weatherization before use
- Some of the panels split when applied with too much force
- The wood needs a lot of painting done since it’s too plain
Backyard Discovery Victorian Inn All Cedar Outdoor Wooden Playhouse
Is it possible to make wooden playhouses fancier than they already are? Yes, it is with the Backyard Discovery Victorian Inn All Cedar Outdoor Wooden Playhouse, featuring a Victorian design, your kids will definitely beg to stay in the outdoors more.
Product Highlights
This Victorian-themed wooden playhouse is unlike any you’ve ever seen. It comes with dainty accessories that bring back all the elegance of the Victorian time, including a large bay window, a serving station, and an English outdoor bench. It is fully stocked with the accessories your children need to enjoy a Victorian-themed picnic.
The Good
This 100% Cedar Victorian Inn is all about easy and convenient assembly. The set includes pre-stained lumber stamped with numbers to help assist in the building process. And the tight knot structure helps prevent small cracking caused by the knots.
The Bad
The Backyard Discovery Victorian Inn All Cedar Outdoor Wooden Playhouse, because of its design and complexity, needs additional labor like the use of a pneumatic stapler and pilot hole drilling. This may be too difficult for people who have no carpentry, or handiwork background.
PROs
- It has a unique Victorian-themed design and can become an aesthetic focus in any backyard
- It has fun features like a fully stocked kitchen and other contemporary appliances
- The panels are carved and stamped with numbers to assist in assembly
- The wood for this playhouse is lab-tested to be rot-resistant
CONs
- It is challenging to assemble because there are still things you need to “DIY”
- Some of the materials are flimsy and can get damaged by rough handling
- Some pieces may be missing, which makes assembly more challenging
KidKraft Hillcrest Wooden Outdoor Playhouse with EZ Kraft Assembly
Introduce your children to exciting playhouse dimensions with the KidKraft Hillcrest Wooden Outdoor Playhouse. It has a pet door, a bench, and an overhang for the entryway.
Product Highlights
A house is still a house as long as it offers comfort, and that is why this Hillcrest Wooden Outdoor Playhouse made it to the 7 best wooden outdoor playhouse. It encourages children to explore a world of their own, featuring a backyard, a stovetop, and a sink and bench for better seating capacity.
The Good
The KidKraft Hillcrest Wooden Outdoor Playhouse is breezy with a lot of details. It has a pet door that swings back and forth and additional details like a birdhouse and planter boxes. The wide windows and the open space allow a spacious and breezy playtime in the outdoors.
The Bad
Like all other playhouses with complex components, the KidKraft Hillcrest Wooden Outdoor Playhouse needs time for assembly. The house also makes use of other materials like fabric, plastic, and hardware, which may be a concern if you are expecting wood for the entire house.
PROs
- It has a unique look that will look good in any backyard
- The house has fun features like its own little backyard
- The playhouse encourages imaginative play with its kitchen playset
- Some materials are not made of wood, which is more weather-proof
CONs
- Wooden materials show signs of weathering after a few weeks of exposure
- Some parts are not an accurate fit like the door
- It is challenging to assemble
Backyard Discovery Timberlake All Cedar Wood Playhouse
Giving your kids a cozy space to enjoy playtime takes their imagination to new heights, and that is what the Backyard Discovery Timberlake All Cedar Wood Playhouse does. And with kitchen accessories and a daintily designed front door, they’re off to an exciting start.
Product Highlights
The details do a lot for imagination, and that is why the Backyard Discovery Timberlake All Cedar Wood Playhouse features the right ones for your kids. Flower holders in front of the playhouse teach your kids a little gardening while the kitchen stove with twisting knobs add more story to their playtime.
The Good
The Timberlake playhouse comes with wide windows for a fresh breeze and a stream of natural light. It comes with a working half-door for quick passage. The assembly utilizes panelized construction with weather-resistant wood to keep it sturdy. It is ASTM compliant, so it’s safe for your kids to use.
The Bad
Wood has its challenges, and for this playhouse, it isn’t an exception. During assembly, you may experience some cracking on your panels, which will challenge your belief in its durability. Some reinforcement may be necessary, depending on your experience.
PROs
- It is 100% Cedarwood and is ASTM compliant for the safety of your children.
- It has exciting features to spur your children’s imagination.
- It features wide windows to maintain proper ventilation.
- The playhouse can be assembled in less than an hour
CONs
- Some mold can be seen on the panels, but it can be wiped off
- The door hinge is made of plastic and may break easily
- Some areas may need reinforcement
Step2 Happy Home Cottage & Grill Kids Playhouse
We’ve been talking about wooden playhouses until now, but before you skip this part, let us tell you all the wonderful things the Step2 Happy Home Cottage & Grill Kids Playhouse can do!
Product Highlights
Wood has some real challenges, and if you feel like you’re not up to it, we have the Step2 Happy Home Cottage & Grill Kids Playhouse that looks like wood and uses faux hardwood flooring with a realistic stone and wood finishing.
The Good
This playhouse features a realistic and charming design that is perfect for any backyard. It features a large and open playhouse, so it’s easy for you to watch over your kids. It has plenty of exciting accessories to spur their imagination like a working doorbell, a fireplace, and a play phone. The realistic molding is easy on the eye for people used to wood.
The Bad
Although it is relatively easy to assemble, there may be some parts that don’t fit. Constructing the house may require a little handiwork since it needs a drill with a screwdriver bit. And although some pieces may come with dents, it can be addressed by quick returns.
PROs
- It is spacious and open, making it enjoyable for your kids, and easy for you to see them
- It uses realistic stone molding and wood finishing
- It uses a faux hardwood floor with drain holes for a clean play space
- It is easy to assemble
CONs
- The side supports may fill up with water when it rains
- Some parts may be challenging to screw tight
- There may be some dents on the products because of shipping
Conclusion
The modern age makes technology one of the first choices for play in children, and although it comes with features for learning, nothing beats being in the outdoors. We hope our picks for the 7 best wooden outdoor playhouses gives your children a safe space outside for their imagination to run free. Get more tips on play pens.