In this guide · 10 sections
- Safety First: Decorating Around Young Children
- Six Holiday Playhouse Themes
- Decorating an Indoor Playhouse
- Turning a Tent or Climber Into a Holiday Hideaway
- Decorating an Outdoor Playhouse
- Decorations Kids Can Make Themselves
- Protect the Playhouse While You Decorate
- After the Holidays: Keep the Fun Going
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Takeaway
A playhouse is already a small world of its own. Add a strand of lights, a wreath on the door and a few homemade ornaments, and it becomes the most magical spot in the house for the whole holiday season. The best part is that children can help with almost all of it.
The short answer: pick a simple theme, let your child make most of the decorations, and keep everything child safe: battery-powered LED lights, no small or breakable ornaments for young children, and removable hooks instead of nails so the wood stays undamaged. Indoor playhouses can be decorated like a tiny room, while outdoor playhouses need weatherproof decorations secured against wind.
Safety First: Decorating Around Young Children
Holiday decorations are made for adults, so a few choices matter when they go into a child's play space.
- Use battery-powered LED lights. They stay cool to the touch and need no outlet. For outdoor playhouses, choose lights rated for outdoor use.
- Keep cords and long strings out of reach. Run light strands along rooflines and high edges, not where a toddler can pull or wrap them.
- Skip small and breakable ornaments for children under 3. Glass baubles, tiny bells and decorations small enough to fit in a mouth are choking and cutting hazards.
- Never use candles, real or decorative open flames, in or near a playhouse.
- Keep the doorway and windows clear so children can always get in and out easily.
- Turn lights off when no adult is around.
Six Holiday Playhouse Themes
A theme gives the decorating a shape and gives children a story to play out all season.
| Theme | What you need | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Gingerbread Cottage | Brown and white paper trim, felt gumdrops, a paper candy-cane border | Indoor or outdoor |
| Santa's Workshop | Wrapped empty boxes, a toy hammer, a "Workshop" sign, a red ribbon | Indoor playhouses and tents |
| Hot Cocoa Café | A paper menu, pretend mugs, felt marshmallows, a "Now Serving" sign | Playhouses with a serving window |
| North Pole Post Office | A shoebox mailbox, paper, envelopes and stamps for letters to Santa | Indoor or outdoor |
| Winter Cabin | Plaid blanket, pinecones, a faux fur pillow, soft lights | Indoor playhouses and reading nooks |
| Snowy Reading Hideaway | Cushions, a basket of winter books, paper snowflakes | Tents and quiet corners |
Decorating an Indoor Playhouse
Indoor playhouses can be decorated like a tiny room, because there is no weather to worry about. Hang paper snowflakes in the windows, drape a felt garland over the door and add a small cushion and blanket inside for cozy play.
The Evergreen playhouse has a chalkboard roof, which makes it a decoration that changes every day: draw snowflakes, write a countdown to the holidays or let your child sketch a winter scene. The Flair playhouse doubles as a desk, so it works naturally as Santa's workshop or a letter-writing station for notes to Santa.
Turning a Tent or Climber Into a Holiday Hideaway
A learning tent or a climber with a tent cover makes an instant winter cabin. The Ash learning tent already has a desk and chair inside, perfect for a holiday reading corner with a string of battery lights across the top. If you have a large Chestnut climber, a tent cover turns it into a cozy hideout ready for blankets, pillows and a stack of winter books.
Decorating an Outdoor Playhouse
Outdoors, everything needs to survive wind, rain and cold. Choose weatherproof decorations like plastic or fabric wreaths, outdoor-rated lights and shatterproof ornaments, and secure each one firmly so nothing blows loose.
A playhouse with a serving window, like the Saffron, is made for a hot cocoa café: hang a paper menu, set out pretend mugs and let your child take orders from the family. The Mimosa, with its slide and climbing stairs, works well as a winter lodge with a wreath on the door and lights along the roofline.
Decorations Kids Can Make Themselves
Children love a playhouse more when they decorated it. These projects are simple enough for toddlers and preschoolers with a little help:
- Paper chains in holiday colors, draped across the doorway.
- Paper snowflakes for the windows, cut by an adult and decorated by the child.
- Salt dough ornaments, shaped, baked and painted together.
- Pinecone decorations collected on a walk and set in a basket.
- Handprint wreaths made from traced and cut-out paper hands.
- A welcome sign painted or drawn by your child for the front door.
Protect the Playhouse While You Decorate
A wooden playhouse is built to last for years, so decorate in a way that leaves no marks:
- Use removable adhesive hooks, clips and soft ties instead of nails, screws or staples, which damage the wood and its finish.
- Avoid tape on painted surfaces, which can pull off paint when removed.
- Bring damp fabric decorations inside after rain or snow so moisture does not sit against the wood.
- Take everything down after the season and check that no decorations are trapping moisture.
After the Holidays: Keep the Fun Going
Once the holiday decorations come down, a new theme keeps the playhouse feeling fresh. Try a Valentine's post office in February, a seed shop with paper flowers in spring, or a lemonade stand when summer arrives. Changing the theme every season gives children a new story to play out with the same playhouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you decorate a kids' playhouse for Christmas?
Pick a simple theme like a gingerbread cottage or Santa's workshop, add battery-powered LED lights along the roofline, hang kid-made paper decorations and finish with a small wreath on the door. Keep small and breakable ornaments away from young children.
Are string lights safe for a kids' playhouse?
Battery-powered LED lights are the safest choice because they stay cool and need no outlet. Use outdoor-rated lights outside, keep strands out of reach and turn them off when no adult is around.
How do you hang decorations without damaging a wooden playhouse?
Use removable adhesive hooks, clips or soft ties rather than nails, screws or staples, and avoid tape on painted surfaces.
Can you decorate an indoor playhouse?
Yes. Indoor playhouses are easy to decorate because there is no weather to worry about. Paper snowflakes, felt garlands, cushions and battery lights all work well.
What can kids make to decorate a playhouse?
Paper chains, paper snowflakes, salt dough ornaments, handprint wreaths, pinecone baskets and a hand-painted welcome sign are all simple projects children can help make.
The Takeaway
A few lights, a simple theme and decorations made by small hands turn any playhouse into a holiday destination. Keep it safe, keep it simple and let your child lead. Explore our indoor playhouses and outdoor playhouses to find the perfect little house for the season.
