Creating a space where children can relax and enjoy using different skills is important – not just for them, but for you too. A cubby house, for example, can:

Provide connection

When children have a place to call their own, they connect to the space and environment, directly and indirectly contributing to the way they learn. As your little one makes their way around their space, they develop a knowledge of that space that they can build upon.

Improve imagination

When you give a child a cubby house, there are no limits as to where their imagination can take them. If the space supports their play, they’ll take the opportunity and run with it. One day the cubby could be a restaurant, the next a pirate ship. It could also be a house, a school, a rocket, a fire station… the possibilities are endless.

Unplug them

Getting your child outside and away from the TV or iPad is never a bad thing. It’s not that technology is evil, it’s just that it can easily take over a child’s life if you allow it. Playing outside is fun, and when you give your child the opportunity to discover that through a cubby house, the days of technology overload will be gone.

Build social skills

When kids play with other children they learn to communicate, share, collaborate, empathise… the list goes on. It won’t always be easy (a bunch of kids taking over a cubby house rarely is), but negotiating play with others teaches invaluable lessons that will set them in good stead for school, work, and their personal lives as they grow.

Kick-start creativity

A cubby house has endless possibilities, therefore there’s ample opportunity to be creative. Getting creative will teach your children to say ‘yes’ to more doors that open and ‘no’ to what isn’t working. It allows them to daydream and set goals, which is both inspiring and fun.

Give you space

Every parent needs timeout now and again, and a cubby house occupies your child in their own personal and safe space. There, they can get lost in their imagination, freeing you up to get some things done or sit and finally finish that book. A cubby house is a guilt-free way to send your kids off to play.

Tips for decorating a cubby house

A cubby house on its own won’t stimulate your child the way you want it to if your don’t maximise its capabilities. You can do this by alternating themes such as kitchens, shops, fire stations and cafes, or by creating a theme during special events such as birthdays, Christmas, Easter and Halloween. You can also add value with some simple decorating.

Bunting

Bunting adds a splash of colour to your kids’ cubby house, brightening up an otherwise plain space. There are no rules; use any colour, shape or fabric. For a vintage feel, check out our CAM CAM String on Flags in Blush Mix.

Clothes rack

A practical wooden hat and coat stand makes the perfect storage solution for dressups, coats and anything else that can be hung up. Our Isla Dress Up Clothes Rack make it easy for your child to reach and pick out their favourite outfits and being on wheels, it can quickly be wheeled outside for a fashion show when the garden is their runway.

Whiteboards and cork boards

Whiteboards are fantastic for encouraging your child to be creative every day. You can give your child free rein with some coloured whiteboard markers, or you can use it yourself to offer inspiration for their play. Why not write the words “Ella’s Shop” and see what your daughter comes up with. Other ideas could be “Kai’s Kitchen” or “Tom’s Fire Station”. As for cork boards, they’re a great way to pin up special drawings and photos.

Reading nook

A cosy reading corner, created with cushions, a soft rug, a beanbag and a bookshelf is the perfect way to get your child interested in reading. The more children experience books the more they will gain interest and passion for them, helping them to understand words, use their imagination, develop speech, spell, write and be social.

Puzzles and games

Having created a chillout zone for reading, you can also add puzzles and games that will keep your kids occupied. Board games are not only fun, they often build skill too. Puzzles can boost your child’s confidence and assist them in developing emotional, cognitive and physical skills.

Paper holder

The Olli Ella Pollie Shelf can be set on a table to make the perfect art or play shelf. Working in conjunction with Playpa, you can instantly transform a table into road or ocean that can be coloured, played with or decorated with stickers. Use the shelf with plain rolled paper, and it gives your children easy access to paper whenever they feel like drawing.

Image: Pollie Shelf with Olli Ella Playpa - Road

Baskets

Baskets are the perfect addition to a cubby house as they can be used for both storage and for playing shops. Visit your local op shop and pick up a range of baskets in different sizes, or pick up a Piki Picnic Basket – the idea carry basket for your toddler. The Luggy Pull Along Basket is another good option, allowing your child to easily transport their favourite possessions outside.

Cash register

The Le Toy Van Cash Register is perfect for playing shop and is sturdy and hardwearing. Featuring soft touch buttons and a spring-loaded opening till drawer, your kids will happily take ‘sales’ all day.

Pot plants

Add some greenery to your child’s cubby house and get them interested in gardening from an early age. Herbs, succulents and alfalfa are easy to grow and tend to, and kids can decorate pots with shells, pebbles and seed pods. If you’d prefer a cubby garden of the no-mess variety, fill your pots with wedges of foam and poke in some colourful fake flowers.

Kitchen utensils

Raid your own kitchen drawers or ask your friends to and you’ll be amazed how quickly you can stock up a play kitchen for your little one. Old pots and pans, double up wooden spoons, plastic tongs and whisks, plastic bowls… they all promote hours of fun. If you don’t have child-safe spares at home, the LTV Honey Apron & Utensil Set will get your child started on their kitchen fun.

Use YOUR imagination

Every child deserves a great cubby house. Childhood is about imagination and a cubby house fuels imagination like nothing else. Cubby houses come in all different sizes and shapes, so find one that best suits your garden and child and build it from there. Consider how to incorporate the space around your cubby house, remembering that ordinary play spaces in your backyard such as trees and mud offer unique experiences and treasured memories. Extend your cubby house with a fairy garden. Build a sandpit next door. Create a garden path for your kids to hop down.

Use your imagination to set the stage for creativity and your child can maximise their learning. If the space is small, think of ways your child can play and still be active. Set up play items in different ways, or introduce new play items at regular intervals and mix them with their favourite items.

Use the cubby house to teach your kids about family roles. Teach them how to be a mother, a father or the family dog. Show them how to prepare the food, wash the dishes or look after a baby. Show them fun in ‘ordinary life’ and building skills they will take into adulthood.

Ready to see how a cubby house can ignite your child’s creativity? Shop HipKids’ range of quality cubby houses today.