For Christmas last year we built our little people their very own home! A sweet little cubby house in our back garden, complete with a shop, house, slide and swing set. To say that we blew their minds would be an understatement, and believe it or not they had no idea about the surprise we had planned for them. Yes, somehow we managed to keep it a complete secret.
How did you keep a cubby house in your garden a secret you ask? Well, the construction started about a week before the big day, it was built in sections in our shed and completely out of sight. Then it was put into place in the garden about two days before Christmas Day. Those two days were quite stressful as I tried to keep the children inside as much as possible. We had come so far and I didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag now. You can easily see the cubby as you come down our driveway, so I had to distract their wandering eyes by making up all sorts of things like “rabbits and kangaroos are in the bush quickly look!” Once the cubby was in place we set to work painting it white. Being a builder Ryan would have been capable of building the cubby himself, however his lead up to the holidays left him very time poor, so we engaged the incredible George Davidson Landscaping to get the job done He did a lot of the work, and then once Ryan finished his work for the year he was able to get the cubby completed. If you are time poor like Ryan or unable to build your own cubby, I highly recommend George and his team. This cubby house is built just like a regular house, and is so sturdy and strong. The quality is exceptional and I know it will last forever. Ryan designed the structure based on ideas I had given him after scrolling Pinterest.
We made it, and when we told them to run into the garden on Christmas morning they were so delighted. As were we. The cubby house has given them hours of fun. It has also sparked a lot of interest on Instagram so thought I better document the ins and outs here. I hope we inspire you to create your own magical cubby for your children.
The layout of the cubby house includes a home with verandah on the top floor and a shop at ground level. The idea was that the children could use the space to play both houses and shops, or perhaps both at the same time. Most of the decor came from one big shopping spree I did at Kmart and Target, this included everything even the shelving. The house has a couch and some wall hung paintings.
The downstairs shop has a front counter where the children can serve their customers. A wooden till, lots of food and two wooden seats. I strung bunting along the front and hung shelves so products could be displayed. There is a phone to receive phone orders (from the house up top of course!) as well as a bell to ring and chalk board.
We had personalised signs made by Tamara Jade Designs for both the house and shop. Tamara hand painted a welcome sign, open/close, shop menu and even made a mat for the front door of the house.
We also hung the most adorable Cloud Chaser (Plane Swing) from Windy Hill Adventures. This unique swing was handmade by a family in Toowoomba from high quality timbers. The swing is deigned in a way that children can independently swing themselves to whatever height they desire, or be pushed by an adult. It is safe, sturdy and incredible quality. The swing has also provided many hours of enjoyment for our little ones.
Other play equipment includes a slide, swing set, rock climbing wall and ladder. We also bought a baby swing seat for Rosie which we can slip on and off. Ryan built a children’s picnic table and we set it up with a small umbrella. Our Vuly Play trampoline sits next to the playground on the grass. We got the trampoline two years ago, it is large, and the children still play on it every weekend. There is also plenty of space left for more equipment to be added down the track, like monkey bars.
For the base of the play ground we decided on the smallest bark we could find, and edged it with sleepers. We also popped some sandstone blocks around the perimeter for parents to sit on.
Purchase List:
Playground Construction – George Davidson Landscaping – Facebook and Instagram
Cloud Chaser Plane Swing – Windy Hill Adventures – Website and Instagram
Signage – Tamara Jade Designs – Instagram
Decor – All Kmart and Target
Play Equipment – Lifespan Kids – Website and Instagram
Play Equipment – Hide and Seek Kids – Website and Instagram
Trampoline – Vuly Play – Website and Instagram
I look forward to sharing more reveals throughout the year, as we add more elements to our play space.
Lots of love,
