A few months ago, our neighbour had a large appliance delivered. The big cardboard box that it came in was brought out for all the kids on the street to play with. Despite having a garage full of fancy ride-on toys and other delights of suburbia, the kids just never tired of the cardboard box!
I suppose then that it’s no surprise that my kids were so intrigued when the “My Pretty Playhouse” arrived to our house. This playhouse is produced by Cascades, the largest wastepaper recoverer in Canada.
Sent to me for review directly by Cascades, I had planned to do build this cardboard playhouse with the kids on the weekend and to take some photos of the process for you. However, last Thursday, I got home to see the entire thing completely constructed in the basement.
When I’d told my 10-year-old daughter that “we’d do it when we had some free time,” she didn’t catch the “we” and went ahead and put it together when “she” had some free time.
She and her brother were having a ball and couldn’t wait to decorate it with crayons and markers too. Stella was particularly enamored with the extra details like the window boxes.
The cardboard creates a much sturdier playhouse than I would have imagined. My kids aren’t particularly “tough” on their toys, but even still, I’ll bet it will require some duct tape repairs in the near future to extend its life as long as possible. And in a family of four boys? Well, all bets are off for how long it would last!
Max, my 4-year-old son, concentrated very hard to colour in the lines because he wanted the playhouse to look fantastic! (Also, I have no idea why his ear is so red in this picture.)
If you’re not sure if your kids will enjoy a playhouse, then the “My Pretty Playhouse” is really the way to go. A playhouse constructed from plastic is far more expensive and will likely end up at the dump if the kids tire of it. This playhouse, on the other hand, is priced at $34.99 and for each house purchased, $2 will be donated to Habitat for Humanity. Not only is the house made from 100% recycled cardboard, it can also be recycled.
All in all, we’ve enjoyed having this playhouse. It’s a whole lot of fun.
Would you like to a “My Pretty Playhouse” of your own? Well, good news — Cascade has been kind enough to offer one for you too!
To enter, visit the Cascades Boutique and then come back here and leave a comment. I’ll do a random draw next Monday and announce the winner. (This contest is open to residents of Canada and the United States.)
Edited to Add: The winner, chosen randomly using random.org, was Brenda A!
