Materials | SmartPlayhouse Blog

The Origin of the Playhouse

In this article we will tell the origins of children’s houses, in my modest research. Any contribution is welcome.

Playhouses have been around for ages and have been used in all cultures, as children love to create their own personal space that shows something of their own individuality.

At Wikipedia,

“The original was built for Wendy Darling in J. M. Barrie‘s play, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. Wendy was shot by the Lost Boy Tootles after arriving in Neverland, so Peter Pan and the Lost Boys built a small house around her where she had fallen. It was inspired by the wash-house behind Barrie’s childhood home in Kirriemuir ^[1] and first appeared in story form in The Little White Bird in which fairies build a house around Mamie Mannering—the prototype for Wendy—so protecting her from the cold.^[2]

A prop house was created by Barrie for the first stage production of the play in 1904. It was constructed like a tent so that it could be erected quickly during a song which Wendy starts with

I wish I had a darling house
The littlest ever seen,
With funny little red walls
And roof of mossy green.^[2]

John’s hat was used as a chimney and a slipper was used as a door knocker. Toy manufacturers soon created replicas of the stage Wendy house, which have become a standard toy found in British gardens ever since.^[1]

Wendy houses are small, but large and good enough for children to walk in and out of; they have a door and at least one window, possibly two. They usually consist of one room, and any furnishings are made by the children themselves. The term “Wendy house” is really only used in Britain, and are seen in many gardens where they often look like garden sheds.

In Australia they are known as cubby-holes (or cubby house, or just cubby). In America, they might be called a clubhouse or a tree house

Yo, p

Personally, I I tend to think that in general in the whole area of northern Europe, including Norway-Sweden-Finland and Denmark (of course!), The garden houses are being built for a long time. The extensive culture of encouraging children to grow independently (see the article about Education), together with the fact that these countries have many gardens and the parents likes taking care of.

Here there are some examples of old play houses:

Personalmente, me inclino a pensar que en general en toda la zona del norte de Europa, incluyendo Noruega-Suecia-Finlandia y Dinamarca (cómo no!), las casitas de jardín se vienen construyendo desde mucho tiempo atrás. La dilatada cultura del fomentar que los niños crezcan con independencia (ver el Artículo sobre Pedagogía), junto al hecho de que en estos países tienen mucho jardín en el que a los mayores les gusta cuidar, y por el hecho de que muchísimas casas tienen una.

Aquí os dejamos algunos ejemplos más de casitas de Madera antiguas:

“The play house in the grounds of Cromwell House, Highgate, London c1890″(Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children)

The cottage is a representative example of the late 1800′s. Finland. (Päivi Siikaniemi). Leikkimökki in Suomi, Legehus in Danish, Lekstuga in Swedish, and Lekehus in Norwegian.

And what about this playhouse? It’s old or modern?

It’s possible to read up on playhouses, so here is a list of recommended sources:

David Stiles, Jeanie Stiles Playhouses You Can Build: Indoor and Backyard Designs
Eva Minguet, Monsa Editions: The fun house http://www.monsa.com/pw/diseno/diseno-industrial/the-fun-house/ 2012
Sunset Editions. Treehouses& Play Spaces. 2012
Paul Gerhards, Backyard Play Areas You Can Make, 1995
Ursula Dubosarsky‘s “The Cubby House”, illustrated by Mitch Vane.^[5]
Karen Stagnitti, Playthings, pp. 25–26, ISBN 978-1-876367-61-9 2000

Garden playhouses with is Silver Birch

The wood we make our garden playhouses with is Silver Birch (Betula pendula). This leafy tree has a characteristic white bark and gives a wood that is very strong and stable. We use it in the form of 18 mm-thick plywood board, to ensure good stability and strength in all regards.

To finish our playhouses, we employ Sikkens water-based paints, which boast great flexibility and durability, not to mention the fact that they are child-safe in accordance with Europe’s EN 71 safety standard.

Birch Marine Plywood used for SmartPlayhouse playhouses

At SmartPlayhouse, we want to ensure to use the best materials so that our customers acquire a high standard product which guarantees them a longevity of it under all circumstances. This is why we use Marine birch plywood, which is extremely resistant to rotting in high-moisture environments due its special treatment.

Its construction is such that it can be used in environments where it is exposed to moisture for long periods. Each wood veneer will have negligible core gap, limiting the chance of trapping water in the plywood and hence providing a solid and stable glue bond. It uses an exterior Water Boiled Proof (WBP) glue similar to most exterior plywoods.

Marine plywood is frequently used in the construction of docks and boats. It is much more expensive than standard plywood. Marine plywood can be graded as being compliant with BS 1088, which is a British Standard for marine plywood. There are few international standards for grading marine plywood and most of the standards are voluntary. Some marine plywood has a Lloyd’s of London stamp that certifies it to be BS 1088 compliant.

Some plywood is also labeled based on the wood used to manufacture it.

The Origin of the Playhouse

Garden playhouses with is Silver Birch

Birch Marine Plywood used for SmartPlayhouse playhouses

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