DH built one for our grandkids and they loved the swings and the covered ’room’ (which had only 3 sides) with a roof and was a place to eat snacks or lunch. As they grew he added a ramp and a climbing wall up to the platform by the room. Ours never used the slide for very long.

Jumping ahead, one of my favourite playhouse activities when my kids were quite young was giving them a bucket of water and some paint brushes. They LOVED "painting" the wooden play structure. Easiest playtime activity ever.

My DH built an amazing playhouse for our girls. An 8'x8' house with a ladder leading up from one way and a gangplank from another way, a slide for an exit. It was beautifully made with love but the feature they loved? The one window became a "drive-thru window." They played drive-thru for hours, I guess because it was a once or twice a year thing for them in real life. Had I had a do-over, I would have just made them a drive-thru set-up!

Robo, my nephews had a real train caboose up on the mountain where they grew up in NC. It had electricity and running water and a chemical toilet and was a popular spot for the boys’ sleepovers. They were both away at bs during the teen years although I imagine there were…memorable parties during school breaks. My kids were very jealous of their cousins.

Nekotish, we had a pool with a spillover spa at our Florida house and our two younger kids played drive thru window there, ony it was a ”swim up” window for mermaids and mermen. The cook / server worked in the spa and sent pretend food down the waterfall to their waiting customer. They could play at that for hours.

In a related story, our oldest son (who gave our grandson, his nephew, an electric ride on train for his first birthday that is his most cherished possession) gave Andrew a kid size food truck for his second birthday. Andrew loves it.

So Robo I would definitely include a serving window of some sort in the structure for sure.

We had something exactly like your first image, assuming there is a sandbox in the bottom level. YMMV but I think they aged out of it at 10.

I hear you about it's use over time. This is why we always were slow to jump onto the latest 'must have' for kids. Particularly when most are not home but a few day light hours as it is. You know your kid. They are all a tish different. Instead of the $$$$$$ redwood rainbow systems that were all the rage back then, we purchased what was then the Step two 'Big climber' and we added a steering wheel. I will always lean to things that allow for the optimal imagination use. If you make a pirate ship--they only play pirate. Our big climber was a ship, was a house, was a cliff, was a hide out, was a........ It featured different climbing on two sides, slats and circles, a top level and a sky roof, a slide. It took up minimal space.

Years earlier, my kids loved to swing. We added eye hooks to the edge of our deck. Nothing beats a HUGE sand box. Ours was under the deck so sunburn wasn't an issue. We already had those features covered so this provided what was lacking.

The company later deemed it too tall, so too dangerous,and took the top off, but our 3 kids never tried to get above the roof... We never anchored it and it never tipped over but I could drag it out of the way when mowing. Loved the no maintenance and no splinters!!!

My kids are all late 20s now and when I look back at toy purchases this is one we never regretted.

So: a slide, climbing, enclosed space, potential for imagination development!

I think physical challenges (climbing wall, monkey bars) and places to hide are most important. When my son was in elementary school my husband and he built a tree house accessed by a spiral staircase. It had a sleeping/reading loft. It was under-utilized but the building experience was great. My son was more into physical challenges and less into hiding away. I would consider your son's personality type in planning.

Above boxes were mentioned. When I was a tween my father returned from his tour over seas and with him came four rather large wooden shipping crates. It did not take long for holes to be cut in the top or sides for climbing through and for them to be stacked into a structure. I have to second the joint building of kids and adults, as half the value. Years before my siblings and I turned an old luggage car top carrier into a 'fort'. My own kids turned a large wooden box a machine came in into a 'club house'. DH fought over the men at work with fish house on their minds for it!!

With my brother, he would have sawed something fancy DOWN, and rebuilt it into what he saw in his imagination!! The more rickety, unsafe-bordering-on-dangerous, and offensive to my DM's lanscape design, the better.

My sons were not into swings, I think they actually took them off the playset we had. The slide was for running up, as opposed to sliding down. They loved monkey bars, they dangled ropes to swing from, etc.

We would grow sunflowers into a house and use beans and wood to grow giant bean teepees. These created hideaways and projects. Oh I miss those days.

https://www.almanac.com/plant-sunflower-house#:~:text=Plant%20the%20sunflower%20seeds%206,seedlings%20are%20small%20and%20growing.

My poor deprived DD had only a sandbox until that became a bit of a nuisance (a couple of neighbors had free-range cats). We did have a neighborhood playground about a block away and often went there. It was an open play structure with swings, slides, monkey bars and a pole. Lots of fun.

That is such a cool idea to grow a hideaway!

The only strong preference my son has expressed is to have a swing. Some esoteric kind of swing that apparently exists at his school yard, but does not match any picture I’ve been able to find on the Internet.

He’s not much of a climber as he doesn’t really like heights. My vision is evolving, but right now I’m thinking about a play platform thing with a roof, two swings, the slide, which he has also asked for, and a tall rope ladder since I think it’s pretty much the cheapest way to add climbing ability without spending a lot of money.

He has pretty much grown out of sandboxes, but his abiding love is hot wheels, so I’m considering how I could incorporate some loose parts play to make car ramps and jumps and things like that.

Another thing that has been mentioned that is apparently really popular is a bucket with a pulley and I know he would love that.

He actually has a step two climber and swing right now, but he has pretty much outgrown it unfortunately, the swing bar is pretty low and the slide is too narrow.

Springroz lol at your brother! That is something my colleague said - her kid would rather make his own fort! Maybe I can put some little tools and boards in there. Right now unfettered access to a hammer would mean broken windows and smashed walls at my house, but I'm sure that stage will be over soon...right?

PS here is a picture from Reddit and I think a playhouse like this would be super ideal, with slide coming down in addition to ladder.

offensive to my DM's lanscape design

For all the DIY, kids-love-a-box suggestions, keep in mind what Robo wants to see from her patio

Love the twinkle lights. Does he like sandboxes tho? this seems to have plants instead

That is perfect, Robo! Maybe a slide could also be used as a car ramp?

That is great inspiration, leaves room for all kinds of imaginative play. And I'm sure you can work out a slide and maybe car tracks too.

Mine is pretty much over sandboxes although 8/10 neighourhood cats would prefer we install a sandbox.

There won't be much room below the house - I am going to set it up on a raised garden bed. I know it's not apparent behind the jungle foliage (I now do my fall cleanup in the spring #leavetheleaves) but the purple outline below shows how I have a curved, raised garden bed hiding under the plants.

This is my tentative plan (horribly scrawled out!) I have to chop down the yew on the right, the scrawny willow on the left (but don't worry, my yard is chock full of trees and bushes), and take out the lower hardscaped bed there. I'm hoping I can convince my contractor to dig a crazy deep hole and set the swingset on 12 foot posts footed in concrete so I don't have to do an "A" frame swingset. The grass you see is about half our grass...

You may remember that we had a whole plan to revamp the backyard two years ago. Well the landscape designer we hired never delivered a final plan (and we never delivered her final payment), we couldn't get contractors in to quote us, the money we had set aside got used for other projects, and the whole project kinda fizzled. We made some improvements but didn't revamp the hardscaping. So this is like a mini project to keep my morale up haha.

We do our share of box (or couch cushion) forts - but we live in the city without a garage in a damp, cool, windy coastal climate. So generally our loose parts play has to be pretty weather resistant!

We had two boys and from my experience and their tastes - no to sandbox, yes to monkey bars. With respect to swings - have it so that they can be switched out to something else - a spin tire, maybe. a climbing ladder that is on an angle and a little wider. Definitely a platform with walls and open window with a roof and a slide.

Make sure that the platform area is not completely enclosed so no door and no closed windows. You want to be able to hear what those little gremlins are saying. If they want a door hang a curtain.

Nice to hear from you and hope you're free from the doldrums soon.

Don't forget that this is also a place to vent if needed.

I think we've got the most use out of one of those large round swings where several kids can pile on it. It is still used at 13, but more for lounging swinging now. The slide and other swings were boring starting around age 8 (slide may have been earlier as she then wanted them longer even though she doesn't like heights). The house part wasn't really used much, but the underneath part was used more for imaginative play, however ours aged out of it at 9 when we gave it to friends of ours and then theirs aged out of it around that time too and they passed it on to a family they knew. Knowing what I know now I wouldn't have spent the money and would have just gotten the large round swing - Not sure what it is called.

Thinking of future use....future covered seating area/porch swing? Maybe, maybe not. I'll see what my contractor thinks.

As you can tell from comments, kids are very different in what they like. I'd let his preferences be your guide, and keep obsolescence in the back of your mind, too. Have you interviewed your client?

Have any sturdy trees? When these first started appearing I had no idea what they were, until I saw one being used. What we see in many yards….

slack line

I have no sturdy trees! Boo hoo!

I did interview my client, and a few other kids in the 8-10 range. I also showed my client some examples of play areas. Although the playhouse is the part I was most excited by...my client is much more excited by the prospect of swings. Which was echoed by his peers. He is uninterested in climbing much for now (takes after his dad in the "fondness for heights" department).

Here's the swing that has stood the test of time for us. Not the exact one as I don't remember which brand we have, but it is the same size.

https://www.hearthsong.com/products/60-inch-sky-island-round-swing?variant=40075215765577&gclid=CjwKCAjwzY2bBhB6EiwAPpUpZs3LPZp7P-vo5vF_iNl5VGByK2IwEpiW7_XYiys-bRheaJIpRKVG2RoCT2MQAvD_BwE

Wow, that looks super fun! Now I kind of want everything on that website...

I have a weird suggestion: no roof, do a shade sail instead.

My dad built my playhouse. The first summer it was a platform on tall stilts, with a swing underneath. It was really tall, so the swing could swing really far -- like in a real playground. It was on a chain so I could swap out a trapeze bar. It was SO fun and we played on it constantly.

Then the next summer he put a roof and walls on it, and only a few months later I grew so tall I couldn't stand up in there anymore. Worse, adding walls and ceiling meant more spiders could hide in there. I barely ever played up there after that, and I was only 10 years old. If it had stayed a simple platform with a safety rail, I think I probably would have used that space for several more years. Even as a tween, I likely would have used it like my own personal deck to hang out with friends.

That's an interesting idea! Another mention of spiders...interesting! Who knew spiders were such inhibitors of outdoor play haha.

We don't mind the spiders! It's the webs. :)

Some people are really good about sweeping everything out regularly. We are not.

Didn't read other responses, but our kids loved the slide. I used to use wax paper to slick it up, and in summer, would fill the biggest inflatable pool I could find and place in longways at the bottom, so the boys would skid and splash in and loved it so much.

With respect to ladders and heights - (you could just do stairs of course) but if you put a ladder in don't do a straight up and down one as they can give more of a sense of falling back whereas one that angles and leans is less threatening for those who are height adverse. That's my ( and I do mean MY (ie me) experience.

My kids are in the higher and the more dangerous the better camp.

When I was a kid my older cousin who lived nearby built a platform with a safety rail up a tree for us. I remember a ladder of sorts for getting up and down. My favorite part was a basket on a rope for sending down messages and retrieving sandwiches and mason jars filled with water. Pluses for arriving via Radio Flyer. Although it was spitting distance from relatives' houses, when we were up there we were in another world, generally of the cowboy variety.

The next buyers of our house took out the loft, added a window unit (on the right side, not shown in photos and not seen from the house) and the DH worked in there pre-CV. I think it might have been a way to get quiet time with twin boys.

I gave DD2's children one of the round swings, but it was more like 36" diameter. They are lots of fun.

the DH worked in there

OMG too funny

Robo, how old is Emmet now? The second picture is for older kids, maybe 8 & above. Whichever house you choose make sure it can't blow away.

Come summer you'll have to keep checking for wasps, snakes, spiders, and bears, oh my!

Not sure I'd do a rope ladder, they're kind of dangerous for little ones if they miss a step.

Have you ever watched children pushing each other in a swing? Scary stuff.

The forts from boxes, tables, and chairs are for indoors. A box outdoors is fine, it will get demolished in an hour. :)

Enough from Debbie Downer!

I'll take this play house from Walmart, it's only $16,791.

You couldn't pay me $16,791 to take that playhouse.

the DH worked in there

OMG too funny

IKR I went to look at the listing photos (they sold a yr ago) to see what kind of room he had. Seems they replaced the door with a bright red French door and painted the vinyl siding grey. No words.

This won't help you in the least, Robo, but your topic has caused me to go down memory lane, for which I thank you. There were five of us on 10 acres, and when we were very young we used the hay field as our summer playground. We tramped out paths and "rooms" all over the place, and spent many happy hours there, visiting "neighbors" or playing hide-and-seek.

Then around age 10, we used every piece of junk wood or boxes or tarps to create the most wonderful interconnected "village" that extended at least 20 feet on the side lawn. It was fabulous for imaginative play, until the hurricane was predicted, and our parents made us dismantle it all. Had two back-to-back hurricanes that summer, so that was the end of it, but I still remember what fun we had. Little money and our imaginations stood us in good stead!

Roxanna, you reminded me of a favorite children’s story Roxaboxen

Thanks for sharing these wonderful memories!

I'm getting the feeling 'less is more' now, which is good for my cheap self! Just wish I had about 20 feet for 10 different types of swings!

Emmett is only five but he is gigantic (4 feet and chunky) and I really want something that will age well with him. For example having swings and accessories that can be changed out as he grows.

Still trying to think how I will create hidey holes...

Maybe I have you mixed up with someone else, but I thought you had this really tall deck with space underneath it. Maybe you can make a room in there and a tunnel to get to it or a few tunnels so kids can run through it. I would have loved something like that as a kid.

I hear ya on the size part. I think ours may have outgrown it early because of her size. She is 5'6 now at 13.

I'm getting the feeling 'less is more' now,

yes!!! during the best years, just that high up platform and a swing were all I needed. (It didn't have a safety rail, LOL. Ahhhh, the 80s.)

Another vote for an angled ladder, esp if the adults ever want to go up there.

For the hot wheels, add some track involving gutters or PVC pipe to send the cars down. Then he can load them up in the bucket to bring back up via pulley. Maybe some parts that are interchangeable so he can create new, different courses. That would be fun!

This saucer swing looks like fun, and also a nice spot for mom to relax in too!

Seriously, I kind of want that swing for me. It looks so fun!

I'd add a steering wheel or two. BTW, that's a great slide you found!

Robo, I'm sure your contractor has it under control, but when I built ours, we were restricted for space. In order to have a swing, all the plans I found had these large stabilizing structures at the end of the beam the swing was attached to. We just didn't have room for that. In the end, I extended all 4 of the beams it sat on (so the base looked like a pinwheel). Those were covered by the playground rocks so they weren't a tripping hazard. This created such a solid structure that I would recommend it even if you do have a stabilizing structure (A frame) to hold the swing. I never worried even when older kids came to play.

The slide is fabulous. Steering wheel a must and so easy to put ANYWHERE. Don't over think this--it will never be used to the amount you are desiring. That just isn't kids these days....

Oh look, HU-787167202, pretending they are normal.