Anyone know where to get a good priced cubby house for a 3yo? Something no larger than 2mx2m x2m .
Suggestions for online stores (here and overseas) welcome.
Tips for choosing a cubby house (eg type of wood, brand) are also welcome.
Thanks
Tano from W.A
The cheap chinese ones are rubbish. The timber literally rots.
Timer is always going to be a problem, lots of upkeep required and constant lookout and sanding required to prevent spinters.
There are a few different types of treated pine - you need to avoid the toxic (yet common) CCA-treated (Arsenic) green tinged timber. It's probably best to get a non-treated, yet naturally rot resistant timber like cedar, but that is expensive!
But the cheaper plastic ones look SO nasty, eh?
Another consideration in the floor - it'll get wet in there and that means rotting. Anything underneath will get stained too.
The best place to get one would be eBay or Gumtree. Get one second hand, use it for a few years, then resell it. Kids will only enjoy the novelty for a few years anyway… by 4 or 5, a Nintendo DS is infinitely more interesting than a cubby house.
Thanks to all, i will check out those sites.
Hi there, i bought my cubby house from Matt's Homes in Bayswater, which was 1.8 x 2.6. I disagree with Ilama above, firstly, CCA was banned years ago in kids cubbies. My cubby is made from non arsenic treated pine, you need to get treated pine, not pine as otherwise it will rot. Yes, cedar is expensive. The other point made, was that timber requires a lot of upkeep - you can't sand treated pine, best to just stain it every couple of years or just paint with some good timber paint and you won't even have to worry about it. Our cubby house was made with yellow tongue flooring, which is what they use in houses so it is moisture resistant and water proof. Lastly, what happened to kids being outdoors and playing, a kids cubby is far better for stimulating a child's imagination than a brain sucking Nintendo DS!!!
Our cubby house was made with yellow tongue flooring, which is what they use in houses so it is moisture resistant and water proof.
Water proof? I don't think so - an internal hose in our washing machine split causing a slow leak a couple of years ago causing some serious buckling of the yellow tongue flooring.
There's no reason it wouldn't be fine to use in areas that would not be exposed to moisture, but if there's any risk of dampness (perhaps from a sprinkler splashing underneath? or whatever) I'd go with something else.
If you want a cheapie, 1day.com.au has had them on sale from time to time, as have Toys'r'us. Kinda also depends if it's gonna be outdoors or indoors (even patio/sunroom etc).
I would also strongly consider buying a good quality used one from someone whose kids have outgrown it; you'll save a bundle & get a better product! :)