Charming Cottage

I bought this playhouse for my almost 3-year-old granddaughter. I listened to friends and did quite a bit of research before because I wanted an attractive house but also a sturdy one that could survive the CT weather since it was going to be placed on a woodsy backyard. Another important factor, for us, was something not difficult to assemble because we were not going to do it ourselves and we had a friend who spent a whole day assembling a playhouse of a different brand. A friend and his wife did the job in two hours, without having any special qualifications. The house is charming and strong and my granddaughter was delighted to play in it, especially the pretend visits that allowed us to ring the bell on and on. We have had it for only a month so I can't evaluate durability but it looks very promising. Now, I am trying to find a way to keep insects, particularly little spiders, from making their home inside because my granddaughter doesn't want their company. We are very happy with Step 2 products (we also bought a kiddie pool) They seem very well-made.

Okay, this is such an amazing playhouse for my children and for me! From a looks perspective, it the perfect size for kids and it’s adorable – from the sticker decorations, to the doorbell, a skylight (I mean so cute right!?) and the potted plant holders for fake flowers – nothing is left out. Assembly is a breeze – quick (10 minutes), light pieces and simple to put together. The quality is great – it’s sturdy and can withstand kids banging on it and extreme outdoors temperatures.The ordering/shipping process was easy too; it was delivered by a freight shipper due to the large box size. Even still, shipping was seamless – the freight shipper called and scheduled a time when I could be home to receive the delivery. Surprisingly, the box was light enough for me to push through my tile house to the backyard (yay!) and flip over to pull the pieces out.My kids (and our neighbor’s kids!) gleamed/screamed with delight when they saw the house… they walked right in and began playing. We’ve already had picnics and tea parties in it… BBQ’s are next.  What I love the most – it’s a place for the kids to practice imaginary play instead of sitting behind a TV, tablet or smart phone. Get it – you’ll love it too.

This is a great playhouse because four kids of different ages can easily play with it and it is durable. Kids love the real doorbell and we love that it isn’t too loud and sounds so nice. The house is open enough that you can keep an eye on the kids and some kids can play from the outside looking in, but it’s closed enough that the kids feel like they are in their own space.It took about 1.5 hours to put it together because we had to run to a hardware store to find screws similar to ones that were missing. The final steps to attach the roof to the walls were the trickiest — needed to drill a small pilot hole for each corner to be able to line up the pieces. (Actually we had to do that for most parts/screws.) When attaching the roof, we needed someone inside and outside to force each corner to line up and make it work.

Went together easily with 2 people: one to hold pieces together while the other put the screws in place.Other reviewers claimed they needed to drill pilot holes for the screws. I did not find that necessary.The playhouse is a HUGE hit with my 22 mos old granddaughter. She would be in it all day if it wasn’t for our hot weather right now. The working doorbell is definitely her most favorite part.I outfitted the cottage with a couple rag rugs, a toddler-sized plastic Adirondack chair and some faux geraniums in the window boxes.

Our granddaughter recently turned two and absolutely loves this playhouse. We obviously decked it out a little for Christmas with string lights that we can swap out seasonally and the items in the window boxes (best for a grandma with zero luck with live plants). We also added an inexpensive washable rug purchased online that extend a few short inches beyond the exterior of the playhouse so there were no tripping hazards. We keep the door side up against one edge to be sure. It is lightweight enough for one person to easily drag and move (thought two people to get the rug down and under it). As others noted, it is imperative to have starter holes for driving screws!!! I have a loaded toolchest, so used a drill. If you don't have a drill, just use a hammer and medium sized nail to pop a starter hole. We also tried the adhesive hooks for the lights, but as noted on the packaging, even cleaning with alcohol wipes on textured plastic didn't help them stay, so we switched to rubber-coated tea hooks (again, starter hole with a simple nail and hammer). I also printed a family photo on cardstock and just taped it over the sad excuse for a "painting" supplied. Woof, it's ugly! This fits our little girl along with a doll high chair and child-sized chair. The "shelves" for storage on the inside are pretty useless, so we have a large food storage container inside for the play dishes or other toys. Our little one makes a beeline for the playhouse every time she comes over, ringing the little doorbell and announcing that she's home. We do cover it with a tarp in rainy weather or every nook cranny gets filled with water! You only have to bail the sink and soak a couple of towels once to learn that lesson.

This is a winner !

I absolutely love this house - I hated the coloring though so I painted large sections and features prior to assembling (Rustoleum 2x is rated for plastics). It does have one major design flaw - the window boxes anx sink do not drain so when it rains heavily they fill with water. Assembly was mildly difficult because there are no pilot holes drilled so when assembling you have to push your way through the plastic with the screws, I ended up getting out my drill and drilling my own pilot holes which made it much easier. I also added several of my own small details (outdoor rug, solar light over the door, etc) Overall though it is a great house and definitely worth the money.

Adorable little house. Sturdy good quality. For 2 and 3 year old with room to grow. Easy