Play Houses & Dens
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.
View play houses & dens
Role Play Units
Boats, Vehicles & 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.
What it is
Boats, Vehicles & Role Play Units
A role play unit is a piece of themed timber play equipment shaped like a familiar thing (a boat, a bus, a shop counter or a stage) that children climb into and use as a prop for pretend play. One day it is a pirate ship, the next a ferry or a market stall.
These units matter because a recognisable theme gives children an instant starting point for a story. From there they take over, and the storytelling, cooperative play and back-and-forth talk that follow build language and social skills every playtime.
- Sparks instant storytelling
- Boats, vehicles & shops
- Cooperative, shared play
- Themed to your setting
- Sized by age group
- Robust outdoor timber
Team a boat or bus with play houses and dens or a sensory play area, and see all themed play.
Good to know
Themes, sizing and where they fit
Popular themes include pirate ships and boats, cars, buses and trains, plus shops, cafes and stages, and units can be themed to your curriculum, your locality or the name of your setting. A market stall can double as a class shop, a stage as an outdoor performance space.
Each unit is sized for its age group, with lower steps and gentle features for early years and taller, more adventurous designs for juniors. We help you place them where they draw children in without blocking the flow of the wider playground.
Why Commercial Play
The benefits at a glance
Instant stories
A recognisable theme gives children an immediate springboard into imaginative play.
Cooperative play
Boats, buses and shops invite groups to play roles and take turns together.
Themed to you
Units can reflect your curriculum, your locality or your setting is own name.
Talk and language
Pretend roles and shared stories build vocabulary, confidence and social skills.
FAQs
Role Play Units: common questions
What themes can we have?
Common favourites are pirate ships and boats, cars, buses, trains, shops, cafes and stages. Because units are made from timber, they can also be themed to your curriculum topic, your local area or your setting, so the play area feels genuinely yours.
What age groups are role play units suitable for?
There are designs for every stage, sized to suit the children who will use them. Early-years units have low steps and enclosed, cosy spaces, while junior units are taller and more adventurous, so the challenge matches the age group.
Are role play units safe and hard-wearing?
Yes. They are built from robust, pressure-treated timber and designed and installed to BS EN 1176, the standard for outdoor play equipment. Where there is any raised platform, we add impact-absorbing surfacing tested to BS EN 1177.
Can a role play unit link to classroom learning?
Absolutely. A shop or cafe supports early maths and money talk, a stage gives a home for performance and speaking, and a boat or vehicle can anchor a topic on journeys or the sea, so playtime and lessons reinforce each other.
The rest of the range
More themed play options
Part of our full themed play range — explore the other surfaces below.
Thinking about role play units?
Book a free site visit and we'll measure up, recommend the right surface and send a clear, fixed quote.