Garden playhouses: the best outdoor kids playhouses

Dens, treehouses, playhouses: let’s face it, gardens should be for playing too. And if you pick the right one, a kids playhouse can make a little corner of your garden feel like a magical world of fun. There are lots of options out there: from wooden garden playhouses to plastic kids playhouses but you don’t have to settle on something traditional or contemporary: there’s lots of choice inbetween. Find a garden playhouse both the big kids and the small kids will love with the help of our selections below.

Looking for more ideas on how to entertain in the garden? Head to our piece on garden party ideas.

The ten best garden playhouses

Rowlinson Lookout Garden Playhouse

There’s a distinct thrill in being up high in a playhouse, and this garden playhouse definitely delivers on the ‘in the air’ stakes. The lookout kids playhouse is on sturdy stilts, with a ladder leading up to the balcony, meaning the kids can feel on top of the world in their magical playroom. We love the added bonus of window boxes too. For ages 3+, this garden playhouse has a natural timber finish (which could be painted) and a mineral felt roof. It comes in at 1760mm.

Don't miss the chance for multiple play areas too - there's shelter underneath the structure where kids can have a lovely picnic en plein air.

Chad Valley Wendy House

This playhouse is the classic kids Wendy house and while it's a statement, the young ones will love the colours and vibrancy.

For ages 2+.

BillyOh Lookout Log Cabin Garden Playhouse

If you’re looking for the garden playhouse to rule them all, then look no further than the BillyOh Lookout Log Cabin Playhouse. It feels like a second home for the kids and comes complete with a mezzanine and secretive skylights which will enable the little’uns to get their binoculars on and get bird watching. It’s built with 19mm log cabin cladding, so this kids playhouse will last.

This garden playhouse is the stuff of childhood dreams: several different areas for playing, a stable door and multiple big windows. Everyone in the school will want a playdate with your little one.

Gingerbread Junior Garden Playhouse

This garden playhouse has such a beautifully traditional feel to it, that you’ll love looking out at the kids playing happily in and out of it. It has the option of adding picket fencing and comes with a cute cottage-like stable door. The latches, handles and hinges have maximum weather protection and the tongue and groove boards mean there’s no water coming through this garden playhouse.

Plum Deckhouse Wooden Garden Playhouse

We love the interesting door and vibrant colour to this garden playhouse. The multiple windows will keep the inside light and airy and the porch area is a great place to sit on cushions and relax outside while being kept cosy. The teal colour will look great with the colours of your garden borders. Age recommendation is 24 months to 8 years.

Yohoz Tepee Tent garden playhouse

Who needs wooden structures for your garden playhouse? There’s minimal fiddle with this tepee outdoor playhouse. Its little window, closable door and playful design for girls or boys will make your kids’ garden playtime session feel magical, and the materials – cotton and wood – are as natural as the plants in your garden. It’s less set up and a cheaper option too. What’s more, you can take it down and hide this kids playhouse away when they’ve finished for the day. You can also bring it inside too! For ages 3 to 7.

Redwood Lodge Garden Playhouse

This garden playhouse arrives pre-painted in several lovely colours. The structure has a host of kooky angles to it, which should inspire the kids’ playtime sessions. There’s a chimney, and a peep-hole, which means they can keep an eye on who’s approaching their playhouse. If you have limited space, this kids playhouse is a strong option and the workmanship is guaranteed for one year.

Victorian Inn Wooden Playhouse

Watch the kids get transported to Victorian times with this cute, Victorian garden playhouse, complete with large bay window, serving station and a fully stocked kitchen and a play phone (not so Victorian, obviously). It’s suitable for kids aged 3 and up and can be set up indoor or outdoor. It’s made from cedar wood, which is good against rot and insect resistant.

Rexco 72 Piece Childrens Creative Play House

OK, it might look a little basic when compared to the luxury elsewhere but that's all the FUN of it. Why put up with someone else's take on what makes a great playhouse when you can build your own! Yes, this construction sets lets mini builders partake in their own grand designs to create expansive single-story dwellings or tall towers (with an anti-chamber or two).

Of course, you have to add your own old curtains, rugs, or perhaps a bedsheet or two in order to skin the set and complete the illusion but we guarantee that – with at least half the fun being in the planning and building – the finished product will be just as dwellable and satisfying to play in.

And at that price why not supersize your build and buy two?

Wigwam pinnacle shiplap wooden garden playhouse

We love this wigwam garden playhouse option, which comes with a ten year guarantee. It will arrive unpainted, so a great opportunity to get creative as a family. The shape, and the fact that there’s not many frills to this playhouse, should leave the little ones to run riot with their imagination. A perfect one for a hidden away spot that will likely make a corner of your garden feel all the more magical.

• Buy the shiplap wooden garden playhouse from B&Q (£1,210)

Check out our round-ups of the best outdoor games and the best gardening gifts for kids.