Most Kids at some stage like nothing better than to play “house” pretending to do all the things that us grown ups have to do daily. So, what better than giving them their very own play house out in the yard where they can play for hours and let you do your chores!
These come in an assortment of shapes, sizes colors and prices – all of which can cause a severe headache when trying to decide which one to buy. So, I have put together reviews for three of the best selling Step2 play houses which hopefully will make the whole decision making process a bit easier!
The first Step2 playhouse I have chosen is the Step2 Neat And Tidy Cottage.
The Step2 Neat and Tidy Cottage has exactly what every toddler seems to love – a working doorbell, an electronic phone, shutters and door which open and close and a slot for mail to be posted through! Also inside there is a molded table, and a kitchen area with its own faucet and burner and two little seats – ideal for the kids having a mid-play snack!
The fact that this play house has a floor seems to please most parents because it can be placed on any outdoor surface without the kids getting in a real mess! One mom also pointed out to me that there are also drainage holes so if the floor gets messy after snacks etc. all you need do is hose it out! Another major positive coming from parents is the fact that this the Step2 Neat And Tidy Cottage is very open making supervision of the children much easier.
One thing I must point out is – the manufacturer suggests that this play house is suitable for children between the ages of 18 months and 8 years, however, many of the parents I have spoken to certainly would not agree. In most cases parents seem to doubt if their child will fit in after the age of 4 possibly 5 years.
The Step2 Neat and Tidy Cottage is not large by any manner of means and this caused some disappointment (amongst parents) there really is not enough space for more than a couple of kids to play at one time. The up side I suppose is that many parents were actually able to build the playhouse inside, so the kids could play whatever the weather. One note of caution, I spoke to one parent who had build this house in their kids playroom only to discover that it would not fit through a standard door frame when they wanted to take it outside!
The only niggle that many parents had was the construction. There are not many parents who actually enjoy having to build up these things but many of the parents who bought this playhouse had problems because the holes for the screws were not properly formed or the screws would not catch and hold properly. On the whole however most people seemed to complete the task in under one hour. Once completed the house is sturdy and durable.
Non of the proud owners of the Step2 Neat and Tidy Cottage had a bad word to say about it – they all loved it and played happily for hours at a time entertaining teddies, dollies and anyone else who enjoyed mud stew and rainwater tea!
Product Summary:
Dimensions: 35 x 51 x 46.5 inches
Weight: 53.5 pounds
Features: Open Design, molded table and seats, faucet, burner. It also comes with an electronic phone, working doorbell and a pass through mailbox.
Manufacturers Age Range: 18 months to 8 years
Next is the Step2 Naturally Playful Playhouse Climber & Swing Extension
This is a great combination of playhouse and swings, ideal if you have limited space or funds for buying separate sets!
The playhouse part of this combo play set is designed for kids to climb and explore from all four sides. Once they reach the top there is a deck area where they can have a rest, a little picnic or survey the land before sliding down the 5.5″ slide. The lower part of playhouse climber can be used as a secret hide out – it has a door and portals for the kids to crawl in and out – brilliant in a game of hide and seek! The swing extension part has two strap swings which can be easily adjusted to suit your child. For younger children it is possible to purchase a bucket swing separately.
This playhouse and swing set is recommended for children in the 36 months to 7 years age range, however many parents I spoke to have some serious doubts having purchased this set. One Mom purchased a little chair for her 3 year old to sit on because already she could not stand up in the little house. Another parent pointed out that even with the swings at the highest level his sons legs were too long and he was only 5 years old! So, I would recommend if you have toddlers you should get your monies worth from the Step2 Naturally Playful Playhouse Climber & Swing Extension – older kids perhaps not.
So far as the little “house” is concerned, I’m not sure it is intended to be anything more than a little “den” to be used as a hide away in the midst of an exciting adventure. That’s only my opinion.
The slide is longer than others on similar products which pleased many parents but some did state that they had to wax the surface to allow the kids to slide properly. Another little moan was that the slide was very narrow and the older kids couldn’t slide down.
Be warned, this playhouse comes in 2 HUGE boxes, if you are buying from a store you’ll most likely need a van of some sort to transport it home!
Putting together the Step2 Naturally Playful Playhouse Climber & Swing Extension for some seems to have been a major challenge, with instructions being branded as useless because they only contain pictures which in some cases are unclear. Others however, found construction fairly simple and completed the job in around one hour.
To sum up the Step2 Naturally Playful Playhouse Climber & Swing Extension. It is well made and sturdy, easy to keep clean (you can hose it down) and kids love to play for hours in it/on it. However, It would seem best suited to children right at the bottom end of the manufacturers age recommendations and possibly younger.
Product Summary:
Dimensions: 115 x 110 x 75 inches
Weight: 169 pounds
Features: Multi sided climb slide and hide activity centre, 2 swings, secret hideout.
Manufacturers Age Range:36 months – 8 years.
Now, I don’t want to appear sexist in my reviews, however this next playhouse – The Step2 Sweetheart Playhouse is most definitely a little girls dream house! Boys would no doubt enjoy playing in it too – however some older boys may object to the colors!
The Step2 Sweetheart Playhouse.
Every little princess will just fall in love with this extremely cute, lilac and pink playhouse. It comes with a working door bell, an electronic cordless phone and even a clock to let them know when its time for dinner. The door, shutters and skylight can all be opened and closed – just like a real house! In addition there is also a little cooking range which can be turned over and instantly becomes a fantastic little grill.
If you invest in a few extras like perhaps some cooking utensils, plates, cups, pots etc. maybe a little chair your little one will be happy for hours.
There seems to be some difference of opinion when it comes to the actual size of the The Step2 Sweetheart Playhouse. The majority of parents who I contacted were of the opinion that there was more than enough space inside for the child/children to have toys and some bits of furniture etc. and still have room to move around and play. Others (I have to say only a couple) were disappointed and thought it was way to small. The dimensions are available, it might be an idea to mark them out on the floor to get an idea of size before you buy!.
This playhouse is extremely durable and well made so whilst some parents built it inside the house in the colder weather it is great to have outside in the warm summer days. It is easily cleaned, again you can just hose it out!
Once again the actual construction caused some parents major heartaches, particularly when the holes for screws were reported as not being properly formed (or in a couple of instances non existent!) On the whole this seemed to be the simplest of the three products I have reviewed with most parents building the playhouse in under an hour.
Dimensions: 54 x 21 x 50 inches
Weight: 93 pounds pounds
Features: electronic phone and door bell, heart shaped flower pot, clock, cooker range/grill, working door, shutters and skylight.
Manufacturers Age Range: 24 months – 8 years
All of these playhouses have good points and bad points (according to parents!) As for the kids, they just have fun. Non of the kids I had the opportunity to talk to had a bad thing to say about any of these playhouses, even when it was obvious in some cases that they had already out grown them!
