The Kmart kid’s cubby house for only $199 is the bargain of the century and parents all over the country are getting creative with how they can tizzy them up and make them a bit more special for their little ones.
We got a cubby for my daughter’s second birthday and it has been one of the most used presents she’s ever had (3 years later and now her little bro loves playing in it as well).
Why are cubby houses so great?
Cubby houses are so brilliant for imaginative and nature play. They encourage children to get outside and enjoy their back gardens and with only a few simple additions you can enhance their cubby house experience and keep them busy for hours!
Get Painting
The first step to making your Kmart Cubby your own is to give it a coat of paint to suit your colour scheme of your home and garden (and your child of course). Make sure it’s a really good quality outdoor and weatherproof paint. Try choosing one main colour (like this stunning one in all white by @hudson_and_harlow or add a second colour for the window and door accents. Pinks, blues and greys all look gorgeous. However if you like the wooden look – they look great as is.
Add some flowers and nature crafts
The cute planter boxes are just begging for some colourful flowers to be added. Succulents would look awesome in there (so on trend and not hard to keep alive). It’s a great way to encourage your child to look after living things. (Fake plants would also still give a nice effect if you prefer). A little fairy garden in a pot plant like this one would look gorgeous on the front porch as well. We love doing nature crafts and hung these decorated sticks and pine cones to our cubby.
Furnishings and decorations
For a smallish cubby like the Kmart one (which measures 1m X 1.2m) think ‘less is more’. Only add a few things so it doesn’t get over crowded in there – especially if you have more than one child or your child has a friend over. A small table and two chairs with paper to draw on and a pot of pencils is a great start. Or a tea set with play food to encourage tea parties with dollies and teddies is another good idea. A small play kitchen could also work – as I said keep it minimal to avoid clutter and still allow your child room to move and play.
My daughter likes to set up our cubby like the “baby room” like at her child care centre with play high chairs and cots. Add some hooks or a shelf up high for some extra storage space. We also decorated the inside of ours with left over bunting from a birthday party. Battery powered fairy lights can make the inside of the cubby look extra magical and special. If you are a handy seamstress, maybe you could add some hanging curtains to the inside of the windows?
Encourage writing with a letter box
A letter box is the perfect addition to any cubby house, you could even let your child choose what number they want it to be! They can experiment with writing on paper and put their letters into the letter box. Maybe someone will even write back!
Add a garden path
Some simple pavers or bricks leading the way to the cubby house make it so inviting. Great for gross motor development as your child hops, steps and jumps to make their way inside the cubby.
Books for quiet reading time
A cubby is a perfect place for your little one to escape on their own and have some quiet time – what a great way to give them an opportunity to read books! I love this handy shelf idea using a spice rack! It only fits a few books on there but it works really well and makes use of the limited space.
My final cubby house tip is to keep the floor as clear as possible to keep the cubby easy to sweep and clean. Check it regularly for creepy crawlies and spider webs.
Trust me – your kids will spend HOURS in their new cubby house, giving you time to hang out the washing or you know, just enjoy a cup of coffee!
