Our picks at a glance
- #1
- #2
Backyard Discovery Sweetwater Cedar Wooden Kids Playhouse Cottage (details below)
- #3
- #4
- #5
- #6
KidKraft Lantana Lane Wooden 6-ft. Tall Playhouse (details below)
- #7
Outsunny Playhouse for Kids Outdoor Floor Door Windows Planter Box Gray (details below)
The Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage is the playhouse I’d buy for most toddlers and preschoolers: doors, working shutters, a kitchen corner and a molded-in floor, made for ages 18 months and up. For wood that can stay outside all year, look at the cedar Backyard Discovery Sweetwater. If it has to come inside for winter, the Little Tikes Cape Cottage weighs 31.5 pounds, light enough to move on your own.
The plastic playhouses on this list start at 12 to 24 months and never need sealing. The wooden ones start at 2 or 3 years where the maker lists an age, need a level spot and a helper to build, and want a coat of sealer now and then.
In a hurry?
Here’s how the seven picks compare. The details for each are below.
| Playhouse | Best for | Material | Ages | Size (W x D x H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step2 Neat & Tidy CottageCheck at Amazon: Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage | Our pick for toddlers | Plastic | 1.5+ | 53.25 x 33.75 x 49.75 in |
| Backyard Discovery SweetwaterCheck at Amazon: Backyard Discovery Sweetwater | Best wooden | Cedar | Not listed | 42 x 46 x 55 in |
| Little Tikes Cape CottageCheck at Amazon: Little Tikes Cape Cottage | Moving it indoors for winter | Plastic | 2+ | 42.75 x 35 x 49 in |
| Step2 All Around Playtime PatioCheck at Amazon: Step2 All Around Playtime Patio | Shade and sand play | Plastic, fabric canopy | 2+ | 47.7 x 55.2 x 56.4 in |
| Step2 Toddler Corner HouseCheck at Amazon: Step2 Toddler Corner House | 1-year-olds and tight corners | Plastic | 1+ | 31.63 x 32.75 x 41.75 in |
| KidKraft Lantana LaneCheck at Amazon: KidKraft Lantana Lane | Bigger kids | Fir | 3+ | 44.41 x 67.52 x 75 in |
| Outsunny Playhouse with FloorCheck at Amazon: Outsunny Playhouse with Floor | Small yards, wood with a floor | Wood | 2+ (3 to 8 recommended) | 41.1 x 43.3 x 53.9 in |
On this page
How to Choose an Outdoor Playhouse
Five things separate these playhouses more than the brand name does.
Plastic or Wood
Plastic cottages are light, hose clean and have no splinters. The catch is heat and cold: Step2’s care notes say to check the surface temperature on sunny days, and not to use its Toddler Corner House below 32°F because the plastic can become brittle and crack.
With wood, the kind matters. The CPSC’s home playground handbook says outdoor play equipment should be a naturally rot- and insect-resistant wood like cedar or redwood, or treated wood. Cedar asks less of you.
Fir and unnamed woods need their finish kept up. Either way, get a sealant made for wood playsets and give the house the same spring check as a wooden swing set: splinters, loose screws, soft spots.
Match It to the Youngest Child
The makers’ minimum ages here run from 1 year (Step2 Toddler Corner House) to 3 years (KidKraft Lantana Lane). If you have an older and a younger child, like my two boys, go by the younger one’s age first. A 3-and-up wooden house isn’t meant for an 18-month-old, even if the older one would love it.
Height tells you the rest: the closed plastic cottages are 42 to 50 inches tall, while the KidKraft is 75 inches.
Measure the Footprint Plus 6 Feet
The CPSC’s Outdoor Home Playground Safety Handbook (Pub. 324) says to put play equipment at least 6 feet from any structure or obstacle (house, fence, shed, trees, poles) on a level spot you can see from the house, away from roads and driveways.
So the Sweetwater’s 42 x 46 inch base needs a clear patch about 15 1/2 by 16 feet. Keep it out of a swing’s path too. The handbook says to keep quiet and active play apart.
A ground-level playhouse with no raised play surface doesn’t need protective surfacing under it, per the same CPSC handbook. Add a slide or a raised deck and that changes: surfacing then goes 6 feet out in every direction.
Floor or No Floor
Only two playhouses here list a floor: the Step2 Neat & Tidy (molded in) and the Outsunny. For the rest, plan on the ground being the floor, which means wet knees on a lawn after rain.
Boxes, Assembly and Christmas Morning
Order early and check the delivery date on Amazon before you count on it for Christmas. Then look at the box. The Cape Cottage comes in one 34-pound box.
The Sweetwater’s box weighs 88.18 pounds, a two-person carry. The KidKraft ships in two boxes, and KidKraft recommends two people to build it.
A wooden house needs level, unfrozen ground. If the yard is frozen on December 25, I’d wrap the box and build it the first dry weekend.
The 7 Best Outdoor Playhouses
1. Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage
This is the cottage I’d put in front of most kids from 18 months to 5 years. It has Dutch-style front doors, working shutters, an electronic doorbell, a play phone, a skylight and a kitchen corner with a molded-in sink, grill, table and seat. The floor is molded in too.
Step2 makes it in the USA from US and imported parts, for indoor or outdoor use, and its assembly-time chart lists the Neat & Tidy Cottage at 50 minutes. One limit: the kitchen seat is for 35 pounds, so it’s a toddler seat, not a bench for a big sibling.
- Ages: 1.5 years and up
- Size: 53.25 x 33.75 x 49.75 in (W x D x H)
- Material: double-walled plastic
- Floor: molded in
- Weight limit: kitchen seat 35 lb; playhouse not listed
- Ships in: 2 boxes (33.4 lb and 29 lb)
Best for toddlers and preschoolers who want a door, windows and a kitchen corner.
Pros
- Molded-in floor, kitchen and seat
- Made for ages 18 months and up
- Short build on Step2’s own chart
Cons
- Kitchen seat is for 35 lb and under
- Under 50 inches tall, so older kids outgrow it
Verdict the easiest first-playhouse call for a family with kids under 5.
2. Backyard Discovery Sweetwater
If the playhouse will sit in the yard year-round, I’d go cedar. The Sweetwater is 100% cedar, pre-cut, pre-drilled and pre-stained (light brown, or white). It has a hinged half door, a snack-bar window, flowerpot holders and a play kitchen with a toy sink, stove, cookware, utensils, a cordless phone and a working doorbell.
Backyard Discovery gives it a 5-year warranty and says it meets or exceeds ASTM standards, citing code 963 (ASTM F963 is the toy safety standard). Its product page notes it may need a sealant that isn’t included. Neither an age range nor a floor is listed, so check the listing photos before you order.
- Ages: Not listed
- Size: 42 x 46 x 55 in (W x D x H)
- Material: 100% cedar, pre-stained
- Floor: Not listed
- Box: 46.42 x 14.8 x 15.04 in, 88.18 lb
- Warranty: 5 years
Best for families who want a playhouse that stays outside all year.
Pros
- Cedar, one of the rot-resistant woods the CPSC names
- Kitchen, phone and doorbell included
- 5-year warranty
Cons
- 88-pound box is a two-person lift
- May need a sealant, not included
- Age range not listed
Verdict the wooden playhouse I’d buy for a yard it will never leave.
3. Little Tikes Cape Cottage
The simplest house here and the easiest to live with. At 31.5 pounds, one adult can move it to the patio in spring and back into the garage in November. It has a working door, two windows with working shutters, a mail slot and a flag holder (flag not included), and it’s made in the USA.
Little Tikes calls it water-resistant, fine indoors or out, and it ships in a single 34-pound box. What you give up is play stuff: the listing doesn’t include a kitchen, phone or doorbell, so add a toy kitchen or a bucket of chalk.
- Ages: 2 years and up
- Size: 42.75 x 35 x 49 in (W x D x H)
- Weight: 31.5 lb
- Material: plastic, water-resistant
- Floor: Not listed
- Box: 41 x 13 x 31 in, 34 lb
Best for small yards and families who will move it indoors for winter.
Pros
- Light enough for one adult to move
- Ships in one 34 lb box
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Fewest built-in play features
- Floor not listed
Verdict buy this one if the playhouse has to move twice a year.
4. Step2 All Around Playtime Patio with Canopy
A covered patio rather than a closed house. The canopy shades toddlers, the open sides let you see every kid from the kitchen window, and the listing says the layout leaves room for a wheelchair. It comes with a play grill, a snack table, a water and sand table with a cover, and a 16-piece set of pots, pans, plates, silverware and sand toys.
Step2 lists it at 56.4 inches tall, and the Amazon listing says 60, so measure for the bigger number. The 46-inch-square canopy comes off, and Step2 says the fabric fades over time, so store it indoors in extreme weather.
- Ages: 2 years and up
- Size: 47.7 x 55.2 x 56.4 in (W x D x H, Step2); 60 in tall on the Amazon listing
- Material: double-walled plastic, fabric canopy
- Shipping weight: 48.5 lb
- Warranty: 1-year limited on the canopy
Best for hot, sunny yards and more than one toddler at a time.
Pros
- Built-in shade
- Open sides make it easy to watch kids
- Water and sand table included
Cons
- An open pavilion, so there’s no door to close
- Canopy fades and should come down in bad weather
Verdict the pick for a sunny yard and a sandbox-loving toddler.
5. Step2 Toddler Corner House
The smallest house here and the only one made for ages 1 and up. It backs into a corner, so it fits a playroom in January and a patio in May. The oversized Dutch door suits new walkers, and there’s a ball maze on the wall, a small sink, spinning gears on the fence and a mailbox with a working flag.
Step2’s care notes say it’s weather-resistant but not weatherproof: store it indoors or cover it when it’s not in use, check the surface temperature on sunny days, and don’t use it below 32°F because the plastic can become brittle and crack. I think of it as an indoor playhouse that goes outside in warm months.
- Ages: 1 year and up
- Size: 31.63 x 32.75 x 41.75 in (W x D x H)
- Material: double-walled plastic
- Included: play balls for the maze, detachable fence, 15-piece accessory set
- Shipping weight: 30 lb
Best for 1-year-olds, playrooms and small patios.
Pros
- Made for ages 12 months and up
- Fits a corner indoors or out
- Built-in toy storage
Cons
- Shortest on the list at 41.75 inches
- Not for freezing weather
Verdict a first playhouse for a 1-year-old that lives indoors in winter.
6. KidKraft Lantana Lane
The one for bigger kids. At 75 inches it’s the tallest house here, made for ages 3 and up. It has a kitchen with a sink, stove, pot, pan and spatula, a pretend grill, a clock with moving hands, two chalkboards (chalk not included), two planters, a front door with a magnetic latch and a vinyl flap that makes a secret entrance for kids or pets.
It’s 88% Chinese fir with a water-based stain, and KidKraft says seasonal maintenance is required and the hardware should be tightened periodically. It ships in two boxes, KidKraft recommends two people, and retailer spec sheets put the build at 2 to 4 hours. It’s for outdoor use only.
- Ages: 3 years and up
- Size: 44.41 x 67.52 x 75 in (W x D x H)
- Material: 88% Chinese fir, 9% polypropylene, 2% steel, 1% PVC tarp
- Assembly: 2 people; 2 to 4 hours (retailer spec)
- Ships in: 2 boxes
- Warranty: 5 years on the wood
Best for kids 3 and up who want room and a lot to do inside.
Pros
- Tallest house on the list
- The most built-in play features here
- 5-year warranty on the wood
Cons
- Biggest footprint here
- Fir needs seasonal upkeep
- Outdoor use only
Verdict the one to get once your kids are past the toddler cottages.
7. Outsunny Wooden Playhouse with Floor
A small wooden cottage with an internal floor, one of only two houses here with a floor listed. It has a front door, six windows and a planter box. Outsunny gives a qualified age of 2 and up, recommends 3 to 8, and lists ASTM F963 and CPSIA (the U.S. toy safety standard and law).
Its 41.1 x 43.3 inch base is the smallest wooden footprint on the list, handy in a small yard once you add 6 feet of clear space around it. The wood type isn’t named, so treat it like any non-cedar playhouse: seal it and check for splinters each spring. Kids furnish it themselves.
- Ages: 2 years and up (qualified); 3 to 8 recommended
- Size: 41.1 x 43.3 x 53.9 in (W x D x H)
- Material: wood (type not listed)
- Floor: internal floor
- Assembly time: Not listed
Best for small yards where you still want wood and a floor.
Pros
- Built-in floor
- Smallest wooden footprint here
- Six windows for easy watching
Cons
- Wood type not listed
- No play accessories listed
Verdict a plain, compact wooden house for a small yard.
Still deciding on a style? My backyard playhouse ideas page covers two-story, castle and cottage looks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to anchor an outdoor playhouse?
Check the manual. The CPSC says play equipment may need anchors to keep it from tipping and to follow the manufacturer’s anchoring instructions. If you use anchors, bury or cover them so nobody trips. None of the seven listings says anchors are included.
What goes under a playhouse?
For a ground-level playhouse with no raised play surface, the CPSC says protective surfacing isn’t needed. It does need a level spot at least 6 feet from fences, sheds, trees and the house. Add a slide or a raised deck and surfacing goes 6 feet out in every direction.
How long does a playhouse take to put together?
Step2’s chart lists the Neat & Tidy Cottage at 50 minutes. KidKraft recommends two people for the Lantana Lane, and retailer spec sheets say 2 to 4 hours. Backyard Discovery doesn’t give a time for the Sweetwater, but the pieces come pre-cut and pre-drilled and the box weighs 88 pounds, so line up a helper.
My Pick
For a toddler, start with the Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage. For a playhouse that stays in the yard for years, get the cedar Sweetwater.
Either way, measure the footprint plus 6 feet before you order. Next, read my guide to the best sealant for a wood playset if you go with wood.
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