Children’s playhouses are fun indoor & outdoor spaces for kids to entertain themselves. The list below collects 75 playhouse design plans that you can build yourself. Scroll through and check out the diverse project plans. There are a variety of styles.
Whether you want a minimalist, square playhouse for the corner of your backyard, or a full-scale pirate’s ship complete with a crow’s nest and a gangway plank- there are woodworking plans you can download and print out.
Some of our favorites include a replica Star Wars cockpit, this fun hideaway built beneath the stairs, a collapsible cardboard hut, and even puppet stage playhouses for your children and their friends to enact theatrical performances all from the comfort of your back lawn.
75 Playhouse Design Plans
1. The Rustic Cabin Outdoor Playhouse Plan
This cabin outdoor DIY playhouse has two stories, an open porch, windows, a door, and a front railing for safety. Your children will have endless fun with the ladder and the climbing wall, and you can even add a slide for a quick descent. The roof has a window in the front gable end that adds character to this rustic outdoor wooden playhouse.
2. The Outdoor Wood Playset With Covered Slide Design
If you are looking for something more than just a wooden playhouse for you kids, then this outdoor wood playset is a dream come true. It has a bridge, two towers, a pergola deck, a tube slide, and a playhouse. Plus, you can add two swing sets. There are videos and plans how to build this playset, so it shouldn’t be an issue for even an amateur builder.
3. The Upcycled Pallet Playhouse Design
This simple playhouse is made from pallets with three walls and no door. The open floor design seems a little strange at first, but pallet playhouse is easy to clean, and you can install furniture in the future to spice things up. Moreover, the roof is covered by galvanized steel panels and the floor with durable carpet tiles so that it won’t fall apart.
4. The Lilac Purple Outdoor Playhouse Design
This plan is for a simple outdoor playhouse for kids with windows and a door. You can make it from one sheet of plywood (1/4″ exterior plywood) and even use what’s left of it for the door. You’ll need Emerson’s wood glue, hinges for the door, and lag screws to attach the walls. It’s a basic construction that shouldn’t take too much time.
5. The Scrap Fabric Teepee Build
This Indian tepee is certainly not a traditional playhouse, but it could be an excellent playground place for your kids during the summer. It’s made from eight wooden cedar poles (fifteen feet long) with fabric wrapped and stretch around them. You can make it as high as you want, and you need a staple gun and staples to finish the project.
6. The PVC Pipe Indoor Fort Plan
For those on tight budgets, this inexpensive children’s fort is an excellent solution. You only need PVC pipes, joint pieces, and fabric (6 colors, 45″). What’s handy about this colorful indoor playhouse is that you can break it down for storage and reassemble it later. Moreover, this indoor fort is big enough for three children.
7. The Indoor Playhouse With Transom Windows Design
The moment you see this wooden girls’ playhouse, you’re going to fall in love with the transom window and the cute flower box. What’s more, it will only take you about two days to build it with inexpensive tongue-groove planks. And it case you run out of space inside, you can move this indoor playhouse outside.
8. The Outdoor Garden Playhouse Build
Building an outdoor garden playhouse will certainly delight your children, and this playhouse design is simple to follow with its detailed instructions and schematics. What’s unique about it is that you can cover the roof with tar paper and then install asphalt singles. Keep in mind that you have to use 3/4″ plywood for the roof, walls, and floor to ensure durability.
9. The Wild West Upcycled Boy’s Playhouse Design
This Wild West Playhouse is every little boy’s dream, but it’s a complex project that will take at least several months to finish. However, when it’s ready, this western saloon playhouse with its covered porch and shingled roof will look like something out of a cowboy movie.You can use recycled pine fence and cedar wood to build the playhouse and get your boys to help you with the simple tasks.
10. The Girl’s Wooden Treehouse Playset Idea
Even little girls like to have their own big playhouse, and you can use this detailed playset design to build one for your little princess. This girl’s wooden playhouse has two floors, stairs and an outside frame for a hanging swing. If you wish, you can add a ladder and a slide. Again, this is not a project that you’ll be able to finish in a weekend, so be patient and get someone to help you.
11. The Upcycled Swing Set Play Fort Build
If you happen to have an old swing set that no one uses anymore, you can use this plan to turn it into a play fort. You just need a painter’s cloth, safety pins, duct tape, and thread. To add a Native American character, the builder uses patches from craft fell and pinned ribbons for rolling the door up and down.
12. The Summer Reading Nook Hideaway Design
This 5 x 8 feet open playhouse/ reading nook is an excellent choice if you don’t have much woodworking experience. It’s a simple construction – four posts, one roof, one backside, and a wood deck as a foundation. The only thing you might find difficult is attaching the lattice to the back wall, but it’s worth the effort.
13. The Indoor Closet Children’s Playhouse Build
If you want to surprise your child with something fancy and extraordinary, you can try this indoor playhouse plan. What’s unique about it is that the playhouse is inside the closet, so if your closet it big enough, you won’t have to build out. A porch with rocking chairs and a roof complete the cute picture.
14. The Salvaged Goods Tiny House Build
This small playhouse will look great in any backyard. The design is pretty simple, and it allows you to work with whatever material you manage to find. You can personalize the house to suit your family’s taste by adding furniture. The finished tiny playhouse measures 6′-0″ x 8′-0″, so you can use it as a garden shed when the kids don’t want it.
15. The Kids Play Fort With Slide Plan
For countless hours of fun, you can use this step-by-step design to build your children a fort. It measures 6 x 6 feet so make sure that you have a big enough space for it. Just like any wood fort, this one has a trap door entry, a climbing wall, a tire swing and a place for a slide. What’s more, this boy playhouse fort is fixed with bolts so that you can dismantle it.
16. The Decorative Wendy House Plan
This Wendy playhouse for girls measures 78″ in height, 92″ in length, and 48″ in width. Additionally, there is a 28″ wide deck along the front with railings. With a few touches here and there, you can turn this simple decorative house into your little girl’s dream home. Thanks to the specific plants, you won’t have issues building this beautiful playhouse, even if you have zero woodworking experience.
17. The Perfect Backyard Kids Playhouse Design
Don’t want to bother with the traditional square playhouse? Then you can build a triangular playhouse in your backyard thanks to diynetwork.com. What makes this kid’s outdoor playhouse so cool is the roof hatch, which opens to a two-floor playhouse with a storage space beneath the floor. Your children will also love the loft with the ladder.
18. The Cool Wooden Playhouse Fort Plan
This child-friendly wood playhouse is a nice option for young children. It doesn’t have working doors so that you can keep an eye on your kid while he is playing. Another good thing about this cool playhouse is the corrugated plastic roofing, which lets the light in, but keeps the rain out.
19. The Simple Woodworker Playhouse Idea
These plans show you how to build a playhouse for kids with common materials and tools. In fact, they are so simple that even someone who’s got two left hands can do it. You just need pressure-treated lumber and plywood sheets. And don’t forget to paint it and apply varnish to protect it from decay.
20. The DIY Wooden Raspberry Lounge Plan
This Raspberry lounge is a handy loft space where your children can play and sleep. It has two floors, a banister for climbing and down, a gabled roof and windows. Another feature that your girls and boys will certainly love in this cool playhouse is the secret door on the left side. This two storey wooden playhouse is 230 high so make sure that you have enough space.
21. The Jungle Cruise Disney-Inspired Playhouse Design
This outdoor wood playhouse is modeled after the Disney Jungle Cruise. It’s a complicated building, but it’s worth your efforts, especially if you have a young boy. The Disney playhouse measures 8 x 6 feet, and it has a 3″ front porch with an angled roof. It’s roomy on the inside, but you might have to duck through the entrance. It’s a great addition to a kid’s backyard playground.
22. The $300 Log Cabin Playhouse Plan
This log cabin playhouse is a sturdy construction that will withstand rain and snow. And you can build it with materials under $300. It measures 5 x 8 when you include the front porch. Your child will have plenty of room to play inside this outdoor cabin playhouse.
23. The Clubhouse Fort Castle Design
This large outdoor playhouse will impress any child or adult. It has a fort, a bridge, a climbing wall in the back, a secret escape door, a stainless steel fire pole and a tire swing. Of course, a fort playhouse can’t go without a rope ladder, so we have that too, plus two regular swings. This is not a simple playhouse by any means, so you’ll have to spend several months building it.
24. The Balinese Styled Playhouse Build
This Malay-style playing house has a design that catches the eye immediately. I’m talking about the steps leading up to the playhouse, the intricate railings at the windows, and the long shutters with louvers. It rests on top of four concrete blocks that add character to the construction, and the base measures 5 x 5 feet.
25. The Naturally Upcycled Cool Cob Playhouse Idea
This kid’s outside playhouse is perfect for hot and dry summers when children want a cool place to hide from the heat. That’s why this house has a living roof ( 5″ in depth), and the wood is covered first with stain, then with tar paper and finally with several layers of mud. Another advantage of this cool playhouse is that it’s fire-resistant.
26. The Fun Pallet Toddler Playhouse Plan
This fun pallet playhouse has an adorable purple/yellow color that is perfect for a small girl. And you can have in ready in 31 steps using pallets and reclaimed wood. It has a backdoor and a cute little porch with a fence. Square windows and diamond-shaped porthole complete the picture.
27. The Recycled Pallets Dollhouse Plan
For little girls, this recycled pallet dollhouse will provide countless hours of fun play. This playhouse model has a porch with a white picket fence. What’s more, the roof with its waving pallet planks adds a unique look to this playhouse for girls. It measures 260 cm x 260 cm, so make sure that you have space.
28. The Wooden Pirate Ship Playhouse Design
If you want to surprise your boys, this wooden pirate ship will certainly do the trick. This pirate playhouse has a spiral staircase, a swing set, and a place for slides. And since this would not be a pirate ship without a gangplank, we have that too. And a secret entrance for curious boys that love adventures.
29. The Elevated Logcabin Playhouse Plan
The first thing you’ll notice about this cabin playhouse is that it’s elevated from the ground on posts bedded in concrete. There is also a front porch with railings and a ladder to climb into the house that your kids are going to love. You can also add a slide to spice things up. This raised playhouse with a slide is simple to build, and pictures illustrate the building process.
30. The Outdoor DIY Fort With Rope Ladder Build
This outdoor fort playhouse for kids might look too complex to build at first, but you can have it ready quickly thanks to the 9-step instructions. Your boys might spend a whole day going up the climbing rope net, crossing the bridge and going down the slide back to the ground. Younger children are not forgotten – there is a tire swing hanging beneath this play fort.
31. The Star Wars Fighter Playhouse Plan
You can use this plan to transform any playhouse kit into a Tie Fighter Star Wars-inspired playhouse. The two most distinguishing features of this Disney playhouse are the octagonal port window and the hexagonal wings. When you add the octagonal light fixture with a rotating LED light, your boy will feel like he is a real Tie Fighter.
32. The Vintage Shingled Princess Playhouse Idea
This princess playhouse will be an excellent birthday gift for your daughter. There are cool things like a built-in bookshelf, a recessed TV, vintage light fixtures, stained glass windows, and network. But the cherry on the cake is the interactive Magic Mirror that will enchant your little girl for hours.
33. The Playhouse With Extra Long Slide Idea
This playhouse with a long slide could be perfect for a curious child. The builder uses balau wood for the deck and the slide, while the rest is built from meranti. The construction measures 4 x 4 x 4′ with a 1.5′ high railings and 1.5′ steps at the side.
34. The Sprucewood Outdoor Playhouse Build
This wooden outdoor kid’s playhouse is provided by a builder on Instructables. It’s a smallish option that was built for the woodworker’s niece. The design plans provide instructions for creating the windows and framework, preparing the pieces, doing the main work and even a demonstration of how they used a hitch trailer to transport it into the backyard of his niece’s parents. He used timber and spruce planks to assemble it- and spent a good deal of time creating small glued pieces for the siding.
35. The Old World Gingerbread Playhouse Build
This gingerbread play house comes courtesy of the Library of Congress- it is a historical outdoor play house from 19th century Tennessee. John Handwerker is the builder. It is modeled on the horse stables on his property. An attractive, ginger-breaded option with a turret tower, this is an extra-large house for kids that rivals all of the modern luxury play houses we’ve seen in ambition.
36. The Great Pine Mini Loft Blueprint
Madewithhappy.com published instructions for a platform style play house. It was built from recycled pine. It cost around $300 to assemble and the instructions walk you through how they designed and built the frame and bass, the floor, the roof, the windows and the walls.
37. The Imaginative Children’s Playhouse With Faux Chimney Build
Ron Hazelton’s post “how to build a playhouse for children” provides useful video documentation series of how he used basic building materials to make a creative outdoor space for children.
Indeed, it is an attractive option with a shingled roof, an outdoor porch area with a welcome mat, and the potted plants that surround the exterior are complemented by a fun little mailbox. As is common with Ron Hazelton’s website, he builds the stuff to last. This particular option, he says, is designed to withstand the common exploits of adventurous children as well as endure inclement weather.
His written and video guide plans provide instruction for how to build the floor frame of the playhouse, level the foundation, install its porch posts, integrate the flooring boards, frame its walls, install sheeting, construct roof joists, embed its windows and add some fun custom finishing touches to truly set it apart.
38. The American Gothic Backyard Playhouse Plan
This American Gothic playhouse comes courtesy of Southernpine.com. A printer-ready plan, this steepled play house design resembles a forest church. A large and roomy option, the interior has 35 ft.² of space and the porch is 2 feet wide.
It’s built from pressure-treated southern pine, so it’s designed to withstand outdoor weather and the exertions of playful children. An additional consideration, the interior can be furnished with children-sized pieces of furniture that should be lightweight and transportable.
Custom decorative touches include a mailbox and street number- this further embellishes the residential feel of this historical and decorative option. The instructions walk you through a robust materials list that includes joists, base frame, corner posts, porch decking, siding, battens, rafters, and trim.
In terms of the tools you’ll need, they say you’ll want to have a couple things handy including a hammer, miter saw, drill, square, level, circular or cross cut saw as well as a post hole digger.
39. The Porch And Shingle Outdoor Playhouse Build
Today’s Plans provides project instructions for an attractive yellow-colored porch play house. It’s built from pine with plexiglass windows. Complete with a comprehensive materials list, there are 20 steps in all to building, installing and assembling this decorative outdoor project. Nice additional touches include the optional window shutters and flower box you can install that really make this piece pop.
40. The Kids Play Outside Cottage Design
Build Eazy supplies project design guidelines for this children’s play cottage. A more rustic look, the roof has some interestingly angled dimensions to it with triangular eaves that make it look really unique. They’ll walk you through the material requirements, and project plans that cover how to build and assemble all of the panels, walls, floor, door, and roof. The builder comments that the roof is probably the trickiest part. He says it will take some forethought and measurement but if you carefully follow the step-by-step instructions it shouldn’t be too difficult.
41. The Backyard Observatory Astronomy Shed Blueprint
A woodworker on Instructables.com supplies instructions for assembling this unique option- it’s advertised as a backyard observatory built from shed plans. So, if you and your children are into astronomy, this plan will walk you through building a concrete telescope pier with an adapter that sits in the interior of this outdoor unit. Even more unique, because it has an electrically powered telescope inside, you’ll have to do some electrical work to keep it powered.
42. The Cool Indoor Child’s Playhouse Plan
Another Instructables option is this DIY indoor children’s playhouse. It was built by a parent who found they had some extra space inside of their home that they were able to use to create a fun, little play area for their children.
It comes complete with a ladder and slide and sits up against two walls which means you’ll only need to build two walls into the structure. Some unique features include a chalkboard exterior for fun artistic scribbling and a hinged door. The builder cautions that you’ll want to take design and safety into consideration to ensure the playhouse doesn’t pose a risk to your children.
43. The DIY Star Wars Millennium Falcon Cockpit Playhouse Plan
This next option is truly mind blowing. It’s a playhouse modeled on the Star Wars Millennium Falcon cockpit. The plans are provided by a carpenter whose children are obsessed with Star Wars. The primary material is PVC board. The builder says that he prefers it because it’s especially adaptable. You can apply heat to it, bond it with PVC glue, sand it, cut and spray paint it easily.
A particularly comprehensive instruction guide, the builder even provides some thoughts on his initial brainstorming sessions. From initial hand sketches, he graduated to Adobe Illustrator designs to begin formulating angles and dimensions of this completed space-themed ship.
A truly stunning option, the interior is a handsome black with a control deck dashboard. Not an outdoor option, it’s better situated inside the home where children can have fun imagining they are zooming through inter-terrestrial galaxies.
44. The Boy’s Firestation Custom Playhouse Idea
An Instructables builder shows off a finished dream fire station Playhouse complete with an American flag and a terminated platform top. This large two-story play house doesn’t come with instructions, as of this publication, but provides some inspiration regarding what you can build indoors to entertain and occupy your children.
45. The Gingerbread Candy Playhouse Build
Another incredibly unique and cool option is this gingerbread playhouse. It’s a toy house for toddlers in scale, smaller than some other options we’ve seen. It’s meant for the indoors with a colored tissue paper/cardboard construction outfitted with an interior light. It’s decked out with ornamental candy, including sugary candy cane poles and scrumptious looking, delectable shingles.
46. The Fold-Up Childrens Playhouse Design
This next option is a foldable and portable playhouse that was adapted from design plans for an emergency shelter. The builder is from Texas and said he wanted to create an outdoor play house that was built from a single piece of material, was easily replicable, and was rain resistant. In terms of the materials you’ll need, you’ll want to buy some coroplast, duct tape, binder clips, plumbing adapters, PVC pipe, hose clamps, stakes and cord.
47. The Children’s Upcycled Cardboard Box Playhouse Plan
If you’re going for simplicity and have a large cardboard box lying around, this inventive construction could provide your children some entertainment. While not as durable, obviously, as a wooden built option, if you design it right the whole thing folds up flat and you can resurrect it over and over again to the delight of your kids.
It’s made from a double walled cardboard which is much more resilient than that it’s single walled counterpart. This simple construction only requires a tape measure, a knife, and a marking device. The project plans walk you through how to measure and mark it, cut out the roof and floor, create doors and windows and assemble it upright.
48. The Portable Prefabicated Domed Igloo Blueprint
Another portable option is this movable pre-fabricated domed playhouse. The builder says that it’s a great space for children but is also spacious enough for adults to use as a fun backyard shelter. You’ll have to be comfortable operating a laser cutter to design all the parts, however. Once the spruce wood pieces are cut out they intersect together to create this attractive dome that can even be used in corporate work offices as a fun, meditative space for the 9 to 5 crowd.
49. The DIY Upcycled Scrap & Pallet Wood Playhouse Plan
This upcycled pallet wood playhouse sort of resembles a farm stand on the side of the road that sells vegetables and fruit. The builder was looking for a project that could harvest existing materials in his attic.
He used a vintage bed frame, a pair of pallets, an upcycled desk and some scrap shelving to create this fun little children’s fort. The bed rails were cut and employed as roof supports while the roof itself was manufactured from the wardrobe doors.
50. The Upcycled Pallet And Stud Work Batten Playhouse Idea
Another pallet play house, this one resembles a functional wood shed for storing landscaping tools. It even has a handy little ramp as well as a clasping lock. It’s the lined with metal polyester foil and bolted together with hundreds of screws, using a 9 mm thick OSB board for the roof.
51. The Extra Large Dog (Play) House Plan
This quaint backyard hideaway is marketed as an extra large dog house or perhaps a small children’s playhouse built from scrap materials. It’s painted a light blueberry color and has a fun little hinging door with an attached outdoor light.
The builder says she constructed it for her German Shorthaired Pointer that was a little neurotic. What really makes it special is all of the finish work- its loving trim, the thoughtful windows, the cushioned dog bed, the high-quality oak flooring, and the robust weatherization.
This female woodworker provides a thorough materials list that includes instructions for the sort of rafters, subfloor, foundation, sheathing, building wrap, roof underlayment and insulation you’ll want to purchase.
52. The Canvas Sail Pirate Playhouse Design
Another stunning creation is this backyard pirate ship playhouse. It is an offbeat construction that took an entire summer for the builder to create. The builder writes that he is an amateur woodworker who has an office day job but does have experience working in the Coast Guard.
It’s built on top of donated cement pavers and from leftover deck wood. The instructions will walk you through how to create the subfloor and deck, how to assemble the mast and crow’s nest, as well as completing the quarter deck with a life-size steering wheel.
53. The Beach Shed Fun Playhouse Design
Another attractive option is this beachside cabana play house. It’s painted a mint blue and comes with a video helping to describe the process of its construction.
54. The PVC Playhouse and Puppet Stage Idea
This is PVC playhouse that doubles as a puppet stage. It does look a little rough around the edges, but if you’re looking for an impromptu outdoor children’s theater this fits the bill. The builder says he was inspired to construct this puppet stage to motivate his three kids to play more outside.
Additionally, because his homeowner’s association prohibits him from building permanent structures in his backyard, this small, movable outdoor theater is a handy compromise.
As he brainstormed what to build, some of the criteria included encouraging creativity, having enough space for multiple kids, ease to build, storage friendliness, sturdiness, and affordability.
55. The Solar Swing-Set and Photovoltaic Playhouse Blueprint
Another highly unique option is this play house with a solar swing set. The builder is careful to say that the solar panels do not power the swing. Instead, the children’s play space is functioning as a ground mount to support the paneling.
Because of his home’s design, it was difficult to find a compatible place to install solar paneling, so he figured ‘two birds with one stone’ he could just install it on an improvised structure in the backyard. This motivated woodworker actually purchased a completed playset off of Craigslist and then disassembled and rebuilt it up to his own specifications.
56. The Converted Micro-Bus Playhouse Plan
Another completely unique option is this converted bus with a bunkbed. Obviously, you’ll want to cover the top with a roof if you want to store it outdoors, or just remove the mattress from the top. The interior functions as a play area and the top a sleeping surface. Though as the builder comments, you can really adapt it to create something completely unique to your personal needs.
57. The Slide And Swing Playhouse Hut Build
This handsome wooden tree play house comes with a slide, swing, climbing wall, tree ladder and a broad roof as well as an interior sandbox.
58. The Two Story Playhouse With Balcony Blueprint
This two-story balcony play house was designed by a pair of computer engineers that admittedly lack any sort of woodworking or construction experience. Their video overview documents their process and a thorough materials list is provided so that you can replicate this quaint project.
59. The Dr. Seuss Whacky Outside Playhouse Plan
Instructables provides project guidelines for this wacky, Dr. Seuss-inspired bizarro playhouse. As you can see, it has a lot of disjointed and weird angles that give it a strange almost hallucinatory appearance. The builder says he decided to use hand-drawn plans to sketch out his ideas as opposed to computer software that couldn’t accommodate his bizarre vision.
60. The Wooden Pirate Ship Playhouse Plan
This is the second wooden pirate ship playhouse we’ve seen on this list. The builder says that it took him about 37 hours to construct by himself and it cost him about $1,200. Compared to preconfigured options that cost over $5,000, he says he’s glad he did it on his own. It includes a crows nest, sale, a walking plank and an attached swingset.
61. The Indoor Playhouse Loft Bed With Storage Stairs Idea
Ana White provides instruction plans for this double-decker pink loft play house. It’s actually a DIY bunk bed, as well, and the plans can be adapted to fit different dimensions. She estimates the cost to be about $350 and that it will take around 20 hours to assemble for beginners.
62. The Plywood And Cedar Outdoor Playhouse Plan
This outdoor play house comes complete with a slide, step ladder, a fenced in porch complete with children-sized Adirondack chairs and a clothesline. The windows are made of plexiglass and some additional decorative considerations include a solar light, doorbell and some interior amenities including a bench, table and shelving. It’s estimated that it will cost about $900 to build and requires intermediate level skills. It’s situated in a spacious backyard corner and truly provides all of the elements of a comprehensive children’s fun house.
63. The Playhouse With Climbing Wall Design
This kids play house comes with a little rock climbing wall. It’s built in between some trees that help provide additional structural support and costs about $850 to build. A particularly cute option, it’s finished with a coat of primer and two coats of paint.
64. The Indoor Playhouse Loft Bed Design
Another children’s loft bed play house combo is this blue and white painted option with a staircase and slide. The builder says that they were looking to redesign their son’s bedroom in a Toy Story theme. They say they had Home Depot cut all the plywood into the required dimensions- this made the entire construction process much simpler for them.
65. The Gabled Swing Set Playhouse Blueprint
Another treehouse play fort option, this one comes with an attached swing set and includes a slide as well as a stepladder. The playhouse club itself sits on a reinforced deck and if you examine the project details this particular build was installed on the side of a steep hill.
66. The Peach And Pink Mini House Design
This woodworker decided to create a fun and cute little house for her child. It has a mild yellow and pink coloration. Instead of buying a kit and building something that would look preassembled, they dived into online research to discover project plans for a little tyke-style playhouse. The finished product took around two weeks to create and cost a little bit under $350.
67. The Enclosed Sandbox Outdoor Loft Plan
Another handsome backyard playhouse with some creative and decorative personal touches is this option from the Ana White website. The bottom includes a sandbox and chalkboard and there is also a steering wheel on the deck. The builder enclosed the sandbox with chicken wire so that cats were kept out. The builder comments they used Dunn Edwards paint for the roof- it’s called Louisiana Mud while the play house walls were coated in a snow white paint color from Lowe’s.
68. The Princess Palace Shed Build
Another adorable option is this girl’s wood castle. It sits atop an erected platform deck and includes attractive shingles and some imaginative decorations. A tools list helps articulate what you’ll need to have on hand to build and includes a hammer, pencil, speed square, drill, miter saw, brad nailer, tape measure and staple gun.
69. The Under the Stairs Luxury Playhouse Design
This Christmas themed option sits beneath the stairs and includes handsome shingle work, a bisected door and flower hangers installed beneath the cut-out windows. The woodworker says that since they live in a cold climate, it made sense to create an indoor playspace for the children that didn’t take up any unnecessary floor space. The woodworker says they were inspired by multiple different project plans- taking motivation from a variety of different sources to create this completely customized build.
70. The Kids’ Under-Stair Playhouse Plan
Another under the stairs option is this coastal townhouse that includes a hanging birdfeeder, string lights, mail slot and hanging lantern. The interior has extra laminate flooring and crown molding with attractive barn house doors and a truly old-fashioned appearance. It’s finished with a dark walnut stain on its cedar shingles and took about 20 hours for this intermediate-level woodworker to finish.
71. The Girl’s Bedroom Play Fort Plan
This adorable playhouse loft bed has a peach, pink and light yellow paint job that makes it a perfect princess complement to a girl’s bedroom. The builder says they used 6-inch boards, rather than plywood, to give it a plank-looking appearance. Despite it looking like a girl’s play fort, the woodworker says that her male children also love playing on it. It is an intermediate-level project that will take over 20 hours of dedicated work to build.
72. The Patriotic Play Home Blueprint
This patriotic outdoor play house has a genuine shingled roof with a white fenced porch that holds an American flag. The builder says that his son’s local public school had solicited him to build something for their annual auction and this is what he came up with. He bought some plans from Woodcraft.com and he opted not to use cedar wood because it was not as receptive to paint. In total, he says, it cost about $800, is built from pine and common plywood and took him about 20 hours of work to finish.
73. The Cloth Draped Playhouse Frame Plan
A unique option- this is only a playhouse frame. You can do a lot of creative things with this- perhaps draping it with a blanket or some curtains to create fun, atmospheric effects. This is really cheap to construct- the project planner says it cost under $20 to build and really lends itself to DIY decoration. A particularly affordable and easy to build option, it has a minimalist appearance.
74. The Small Playroom Cottage Design
This next play house is designed for small spaces and includes a loft bed as well as a little interior area you can outfit with child-sized chairs and other accouterments. The builder says that they had a spare 6′ x 13′ storage room that they wanted to convert into a play space for their daughter.
The builder says they modified existing project plans to accommodate the small space he had to work with and used cleats on three walls to hold it up. Because the loft area is an unusual size he had some foam cut out to specifically fit it and it is now the favorite area of his daughter and her friends to watch streaming movies on Netflix.
It did require a lot of preparation- the woodworker says he use Sketchup to create the project plans and this truly was an instance of measure twice cut once.
75. The Queen Size Playhouse Loft Bed Design
The queen-size playhouse loft bed is a fun and slightly wacky looking option that includes enclosed stairs and a miniature slide with an interior cubby shelving space. The builder says it took four weeks to complete, but that is because they could only dedicate one weekend day a week for working on it.
The builder thoughtfully constructed it so that it would be relatively easy to disassemble should they move in the future. Having gone through this arduous construction, the woodworker recommends that you spend a lot of time on planning, make sure you cut all of the wood first, paint it before it’s assembled, and ensure you stick to the plan instead of making wild deviations.
While the builder is impressed with what they have created, they do say that the slide is a bit too narrow at only a foot wide- they recommend you make it one and a half feet wide, at least. As well, the slide is a bit too steep at 45°, they recommend that it have a gentler slope so there’s less risk of falling when your child goes down it.
The builder spent a lot of time on decorative amenities and even completed it with a fun nameplate above the play house’s interior door.
Common Builder Questions
Having done extensive research about how to plan, build and otherwise assemble a playhouse, we have run into some common questions and concerns perspective builders have. Take stock and plan ahead- this way you can anticipate potential hurdles.
- What is the exact height of the floors on the play house’s interior?
- Are circular or cross cut saws necessary to build them?
- Can you add a sink or stove inside of it?
- What are the exact interior dimensions?
- Exactly how tall is the door’s opening? Will a 40-inch tall six-year-old fit inside?
- Where is the best place to buy an outdoor, weather-resistant play house if you don’t want to build it?
- What are the tools required for building an outdoor, completely assembled house?
- How tall is it from its floor all the way to its roof?
- How can I build a plastic playhouse and should I keep it inside or outside?
- Is it possible to paint a plastic playhouse?
- Should I paint or stain an outdoor play house?
- Is the floor of the playhouse naked and exposed to the ground or does it have a wooden floor?
- On average, how much does it cost to build a simple outdoor play house?
- Can I build a playhouse on the grass lawn or do I need to secure it to the earth with the polls?
- Is there a way to insulate a play house or should I leave it uninsulated?
- What is the best way to light up the interior of a play house?
- Is it possible to convert and unused hutch or shed into an outdoor space for children to play in?
- What is the best outdoor heating solution to warm up the interior of a play house?
Hi, my name’s Elena Coolidge. I’m a DIY enthusiast who loves building fun woodworking plans. These DIY plans are fun hobby projects for enthusiasts or even more advanced builders that want to build things like bunk beds, end tables or even a duck box!
