• A colorful playhouse is a source of imaginative play for children.The playhouse on a lawn in the summer image by Arkady Chubykin from Fotolia.com
  
  Though most children are content to role play on their own with a playhouse, a range of more structured games keep children entertained with their playhouse when their imagination runs dry. Incorporate playhouse games into every-day play or children's parties to engage children in fun and creative learning.
  
  

Castle Games

• One of the most extravagant playhouse styles is the castle playhouse. Embrace the royal whimsy of a castle playhouse with a game like castle siege. If you have a group of children, select two to remain in the playhouse as a princess and a guard. The rest of the children must sneak up on the playhouse and try to tag the princess so that she is "freed" without the guard yelling, "Intruder!" in which case, everyone must go back to the start point away from the playhouse. To make the game more difficult, blindfold the guard.
  
  For a more physical game, arrange an obstacle course using simple household or yard object that leads to the castle gate. Consider laying out a grid from rope for children to jump through, a stool to step over and a balance beam to walk across. Time each child as he navigates the course. The child with the fastest time storming the castle wins a prize like plastic sword.
  
  

Role Playing Games

• Role-playing games challenge children to engage in critical thinking through imaginative play. Host a character tea party for a small group of children. Each child receives a secret character to play, such as a character from a favorite television show or book. The children attend a simple tea party in the playhouse, but they must remain in character. At the end of the party, the children try to guess each other's character.
  
  Incorporate a playhouse into a theater activity for children. Place a dress-up box inside the playhouse and invite groups of three children to pull three items form the box. Each group must them create a short skit that uses the playhouse as a set or backdrop using the items they selected from the box. Perform the skits for a group of adults or for the other play groups.
  
  

Learning Games

• Turn play time into a time for learning with education-centered playhouse activities. For a simple one-on-one game with your child, introduce a grammatical concept like prepositions with a playhouse game. Ask you child to act out as many possible different variations of the sentence, "I am (blank) the playhouse." The child could stand beside, inside, outside or in back of the playhouse. Another simple game is the playhouse narrator game. A parent or another child narrates a scene that the child must act out with the playhouse. The parent may say, "Julie came home from kindergarten and went in her house. She found a pot to make tea, but there was no water!" The child must use listening skills and her ability to follow directions to complete all the tasks.