Role Play Units
Themed timber units shaped like boats, cars, buses, trains, shops and stages become whatever children imagine, turning a corner of the playground into the setting for endless stories.
View role play units
Play Houses & Dens
Play Houses & Den Making Areas
Timber playhouses, dens and loose-parts den-building kits give children a small world of their own to build, share and reinvent through open-ended imaginative play.
What it is
Play Houses & Den Making Areas
A play house is a child-sized timber building, and a den-making area is a space with loose parts (posts, panels, fabric and A-frames) that children assemble into their own shelters. Together they turn an open corner of the playground into somewhere to build, hide and pretend.
This kind of play matters because it is open-ended. With no fixed rules, children invent the story themselves, which builds language, negotiation and cooperation as they decide together who lives here and what happens next.
- Open-ended imaginative play
- Builds language & vocabulary
- Encourages cooperation & sharing
- Central to forest school
- Robust outdoor timber
- Loose parts for den building
Pair a den area with boats and role play units or a nearby mud kitchen, and browse all themed play.
Good to know
Choosing between fixed houses and loose parts
A fixed playhouse gives an instant, weatherproof focal point that younger children return to every day, ready for home-corner and shopkeeper play the moment they arrive. It needs almost no setting up and copes with heavy daily use.
A den-building kit is more flexible and more challenging: children plan, lift and problem-solve to make something new each session, which suits older groups and forest school. Many settings choose both, so there is somewhere ready to play and somewhere to build.
Why Commercial Play
The benefits at a glance
Open-ended play
No fixed rules, so children invent the story and lead the play themselves.
Language and confidence
Small-world talk grows vocabulary, storytelling and the confidence to speak up.
Cooperation and sharing
Building and playing together teaches turn-taking, negotiation and teamwork.
Made for the outdoors
Robust, pressure-treated timber stands up to weather and years of daily use.
FAQs
Play Houses & Dens: common questions
What age are play houses and den areas for?
Both work well from early years through to lower juniors. Fixed playhouses suit nursery and reception home-corner play, while loose-parts den building tends to engage older children who enjoy planning and problem-solving.
Are den-building kits safe for children to build with?
Yes, when they use purpose-made kits with rounded connectors and manageable parts sized for the age group. Equipment is designed and installed to BS EN 1176, and adult-supported building teaches children to handle materials sensibly.
Do play houses need a special surface underneath?
A fixed playhouse with no raised platform usually sits on grass or an existing hard surface. Where there is a step or a raised deck, we match the surfacing to the fall height and test it to BS EN 1177 so any tumble is cushioned.
How do these support forest school and the curriculum?
Den making is a natural fit for forest school, encouraging risk assessment, teamwork and outdoor learning. Home-corner playhouses link to early-years talk and personal, social and emotional development, so both earn their place in the daily routine.
The rest of the range
More themed play options
Part of our full themed play range — explore the other surfaces below.
Thinking about play houses & dens?
Book a free site visit and we'll measure up, recommend the right surface and send a clear, fixed quote.