Post contributed by Guest Writer: Nancy Trapuzzano:
I received the Paw Patrol Playhouse in exchange for reviewing the item, however all opinions are my own.
The Paw Patrol Plastic Indoor/Outdoor Playhouse by Delta Children is a new favorite in our family! This sturdy, engaging playhouse is an absolute hit with our Paw Patrol fan, and he was delighted by it from the moment the UPS man brought it to our door. His excitement grew exponentially when it was assembled 🙂
While the playhouse is described as being “easy assembly” I wondered if it truly would be, as memories of other ‘easily assembled’ trials… err, toys… came to mind. However, this truly was an easily assembled playhouse. My husband, with the assistance of our son as a helper, put it together in about 30 minutes (a time frame which may have been a wee bit shorter if our son didn’t keep running off chasing moths, but kids will be the little explorers they are!). All that was required was a screwdriver and a little bit of time – definitely easy-peasy!
The fade-resistant, high gloss stickers for the playhouse went on easily and were thick enough to hold their form while being transferred to the playhouse siding. The majority of the playhouse was simply snapped tightly together, giving a sturdy, moveable structure. Cute plastic dog bones needed to be screwed in with a basic screwdriver, as did the holder for the periscope, but that was not difficult at all.
Oh my goodness, let’s address the periscope for a moment. It is by far my son’s favorite part of the playhouse. Even before assembly began, he was toting the periscope around with him, gleefully asking my husband and myself to take a look-see through this “amazing!” (as he refers to it) detachable part of the playhouse. I was very impressed with the quality! I saw that it was part of the playhouse but expected it to just be a little make-believe aspect. Oh, how wrong I was. This actually works! You can absolutely see with it, and the image is pretty good too! Definitely a wow factor for me, and a huge wow factor for my son. While it has a holder that is attached to the inside panel of the playhouse the periscope itself is detachable. It can be used in any of the four holes in the roof of the playhouse, or carried around with the child outside the playhouse – which my son does, throughout the day. He’s taken it in the car, the grocery store, to bed, in addition to the playhouse. The designer who added this element to the playhouse definitely had insight when it came to the periscope – it transforms the playhouse from a basic themed play area to something far more, and my son’s imagination has definitely soared with it!
Other aspects of the playhouse that we appreciate are the little details, such as the little nook shelves in the corners which are perfect for a juice box, snack, or even little stuffed pup. There are also little shelves below each window, which is also great for little ones to put toys or snacks during their playtime adventures. There’s even a mail slot by the front door, which I think will be super cute around Valentine’s Day or even for a little surprise any day throughout the year.
There is enough room inside the playhouse for active play, and even a bit of toy storage. My son loves playing with his Paw Patrol figures and vehicles inside the playhouse, and stores them in a plastic bin which we’re keeping in the playhouse for convenience. He also has room for his butterfly net in a corner, and a couple of other items he deems as “must haves” in his new headquarters/playhouse.
As I mentioned, the playhouse is sturdy and easily moveable. My son has a condition which requires he stay out of direct sunlight, so I’ve needed to move the playhouse throughout the day so I can keep him in the shade. We’ve had no issues sliding the playhouse across the grass – no parts have come loose – it’s just as sturdy as it was when initially assembled.
While we currently have the playhouse as an outdoor toy at the moment, I can see this easily transitioning to an indoor toy when the weather no longer allows for comfortable outdoor play. Though it’s a fair-sized unit, the profile is definitely that which can be fit even into our apartment without causing spatial issues.
The Paw Patrol Playhouse has exceeded my expectations. I knew with the theming alone, my son would be thrilled with it, but when it arrived and was assembled, I was impressed with just how engaging the playhouse is – from the swinging window shutters and doors, to the detachable periscope to the very sturdy construction. It’s definitely a quality item that I can see our family benefiting from for years, and then still be able to be passed on when our littles outgrow it. It’s nice to see a quality item that will last throughout the years – as this playhouse certainly will.
If your child is a Paw Patrol fan, this is a playhouse they will likely love, and be able to use, for years.
