Kids Playhouse Plans, Playhouse Plans, Cottage Playhouse with Porch 6x6 and 6x8, Dutch Door, Flower Box Windows, Shutters

Plans for a ground-level kids cottage playhouse with a covered front porch, in two sizes: 6 x 6 ft and 6 x 8 ft (about ages 3 to 7). Easy to follow and thorough, with lettered parts, numbered steps with one drawing each, cut and shopping lists, a kids safety sheet first, a permit drawing set and CAD files.

Easy to follow, nothing left out

Every cut has a letter (A, B, C), and every step shows which lettered parts and which screws go together, so you build it like flat-pack furniture, one step at a time.

You also get dimensioned drawings, a materials and shopping list, a cost spreadsheet and CAD files, so the plans answer the questions that come up while you build.

Permit drawing set included

A permit drawing set is included, ready to adapt for your permit application; some building departments require stamped drawings. It has a site plan template, framing plan, elevations, section, details, a code reference table and a load and span basis for both sizes. These are general DIY drawings with no engineer's or architect's stamp.

CAD files included

A SketchUp-ready 3D model (.dae, every board a named part) plus DXF drawings for AutoCAD, LibreCAD or FreeCAD, so you can change a size, add your yard or hand the drawings to a drafter.

What you build

Plans for a ground-level kids cottage playhouse with a covered front porch in two sizes, 6 x 6 ft and 6 x 8 ft.

4x4 pressure-treated skids on a gravel pad, a 2x4 floor frame with plywood, a 2x6 porch deck with two 4x4 posts, 2x4 walls with a stud under every rafter, 2x6 rafters at 45 degrees on a 2x10 ridge with ties, T1-11 siding, a plywood roof deck with shingles, a Dutch half door, two polycarbonate windows with flower boxes and optional shutters.

• A kids safety sheet first: no opening of 3-1/2 to 9 in, finger-guarded door hinges, no lock or slide bolt, every edge rounded, countersunk screws only, a non-toxic finish
• A 24 in Dutch half door, 46 in high, so younger children walk in and older children duck
• Polycarbonate panes, never glass: two 10 x 16 in windows with flower boxes (the windows do not open)
• A 22 in deep covered porch with two posts, a deck about 5 in off the ground, a floor about 8 in off the ground, four ground anchors, soft ground cover at the door
• Optional shutters and a choice of cottage colors
• We estimate about 28 hours for the 6 x 6 and 34 hours for the 6 x 8 with a helper, on a first build

Not certified to a toy or playground standard

These plans build in the opening, edge, door, window, fastener and finish rules, but they are not tested or certified to any toy or playground standard, and a homemade playhouse is not a tested product. Hard rules: ages about 3 to 7 only, no gap of 3-1/2 to 9 in, anchor it, no ropes or cords, check it every month, an adult builds it. The main hazards are falls, entrapment and strangulation. If you are not confident building for children, buy a certified playhouse. Always supervise children.

What you get

• The plan PDF: kids safety sheet first, dimensioned drawings, lettered parts and numbered steps with one drawing each, cut and shopping lists for both sizes
• A permit drawing set for both sizes
• CAD files: SketchUp-ready 3D model (.dae) and DXF drawings
• An editable materials cost spreadsheet (.xlsx) that works in Excel, Google Sheets and Apple Numbers, with a step-by-step guide to opening it in Google Sheets
• The worksheets again as printable web pages (ZIP), so you can reprint single pages any time

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