not so good? Why is it great to play with outdoors, inside or with the whole
family?
We bought the TP Forest Lodge Wooden Playhouse for our garden a year ago. We have quite a small triangular garden but wanted some play equipment for the little ones, and something that would last them years. We looked at countless plastic slides and playhouses and then came across this. The price was obviously much higher than buying some plastic play equipment, with a retail price of about £430, but the more we thought about it, the better option it seemed.
I asked a friend who owned one for advice and she said her boys still play with theirs at ages 12, 9 and 6, so we decided to go for it... and what a great decision! Our children were, when we bought it, aged 5 and nearly 2 years old (the photo is actually at my daughter's 2nd birthday party). They absolutely LOVE it. The playhouse is even more magical and secret because you have to climb up a ladder; they love having little picnics in there! The slide is fast, and even the dollies enjoy sliding down it!
As for product quality - the assembly was a little complicated but as long as you strictly follow the instructions (including measuring the screws to make sure you're using the right sizes!) then it does work quite well. You definately need two people to assemble it. The finished product is supposed to be cemented into the ground but it is so heavy that we didn't actually do that in case it needed moved, and it has stood up to gale force winds over the last year! The whole unit is very stable and safe for children - we've had a few near heart attacks thinking they would fall off of the balcony but so far so good!
The only faults, if I had to choose some, are first of all that the door is fabric and loose so if it rains the door gets soaked, and second that the railings around the balcony have too much open space beneath them (this is what has caused the near heart attacks!) for small children to potentially fall through! Otherwise the product is fantastic. It works well in our small garden, combining a playhouse and a slide, as well as providing play or storage space underneath it. The children love it, and this year our newest little boy will be turning one and no doubt trying to join in the fun as well!
I have already recommended this to friends, and certainly will continue to do so.
