Top 10 Cubby House Plans In Australia

Kids love cubby houses. A small, protected play area they can make their own in the front or back yard is the perfect place to fuel their creativity and keep them occupied. If you’re after a great DIY build that your kids will love, we’ve got you covered.

Below we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 cubby house plans you can build in Australia. We’ve gone with a range of sizes and designs to suit all yards and a variety of play styles. We’ve also favoured designs which use asphalt roof shingles to create a great, distinct look – your kids might not care, but you’ll appreciate the style as you look out the back window and see them playing.

1: The Playhouse

Not the catchiest title for a cubby house, we’ll admit.

This simple design is intended for most any skill level, and can be completed in a weekend. It’s very no frills — a door, a window, four walls, a roof and a floor. Give the outside a nice lick of paint and top it with GAF Asphalt Roof Shingles and it’ll look great.

The interior space is plenty for kids to play around in and even set up their own custom space. Our favourite part is that despite the no-frills design, attention is still paid to proper waterproofing of the roof. This will not only keep kids dry, but stop the interior from getting damp and warping.

2: Plytanium Playhouse

Fair warning, this playhouse is a significant jump in complexity from the above.

Featuring multiple windows and even a little patio, this design will make kids feel like they have their very own home in the back yard. It even includes instructions for setting up a doorjamb so you can install a fully functioning front door for kids to use.

At 7 feet high, this will even give parents enough room to join their kids for a tea party. It will also be good for hotter months, as higher roofs help with insulation. If you install a proper ridge vent on the roof, you’ll create an excellent cool playspace for the kids to enjoy outdoors.

3: Pallet Playhouse

While the pallet furniture craze seems to have died down a little lately, repurposing wooden pallets into a cubby house is a great, cost-effective way to build a home your kids can call their own.

This design features a door, porch, and large windows, as well as a complete floor. It’s shorter than the Plytanium design, but will still fit an adult in a pinch.

The asphalt roof shingles are a great neutral colour to offset whatever exterior paint design you choose. Keep it bold like the yellow and pink if the original, or tone it down with cooler or neutral colours for a more subtle design.

4: Ana White Simple Playhouse

This one might be cheating a little — it’s actually just instructions for a wall with a window and door. But if you can create that section, the rest of the cubby is fairly simple. We added this design on the list because it’s an easier door and window combination to make than some, but provides a bigger window and better design than the “Playhouse” design first on the list.

Plus we really like the look of the roof shingles on the grey and white house.

5: A Place Imagined Playhouse

This American Gothic-style playhouse features a simple, classical design. It’s intended to be easy to put together and easy to customise. There’s ample space inside for a small bed, table, and chair for kids to use and play with outside.

The high ceiling is perfect for Australian summer climates to keep kids cool while they’re playing.  Again, you’ll want adequate ventilation to really get the best effects, so take the time to add a good GAF roof vent system on the central ridge.

6: Buildeazy Kids Play Fort

This design is less of a cubby house and more of an all-in-one entertaining site for kids. It features a slide, an innovative wooden climbing wall to get to the upper level, and even a tire swing.

You’ll notice a distinct lack of asphalt roofing shingles on this design. Since the entire construction is wood anyway, it’ll be easy to apply roof shingles over a plywood base on the roof rather than use a totally wooden roof structure. This will give you better protection from the elements and prolong the life of the fort.

7: Buildeazy Wendy House

Another Buildeazy construction, this Wendy house is similar to the Plytanium instructions earlier on the list. It features multiple windows, a door, and a patio. This design is a little more decorated, with more solid panelling around the patio.

The User Photos Section shows how versatile the design can be with materials, showcasing both asphalt roof shingles and tin roofs suiting the design equally well. We think the shingles give the design a quaint charm that turns the cubby into a garden feature you can be proud to show off.

8: Outdoor Playhouse Plans

This design is reminiscent of the first item on the list — four walls, floor, roof, and door — but with a slightly modified layout and extra windows.

Rather than the door being at the end of the building, it’s added to one side. The accompanying window is slightly larger, and an additional two windows are added to either end of the house. This provides greater ventilation and allows you to orient the house differently depending on the shape of your yard.

9: Handmade Hideaway

This design comes in two sizes. The kids one, linked above in the header, and Big Kids. We love the idea of an adult-sized cubby house out in the yard — a little hideaway the entire family can enjoy.

This raised cubby house design oozes the airy open-plan living philosophy of Hamptons and Cape Cod style homes, the American style homes we love so much. The only way to make these better would be to replace the tin roofs with asphalt roof shingles. They would fit perfectly in the yard of a home already roofed with asphalt roof shingles, creating the ultimate hideaway and garden compliment piece.

10: DIY Kids Playhouse

We’ll end as we began; with a clean, simple design. This cubby house is the simplest design of all of them — no floor, no doors, just four walls and a roof.

This ultra-simple, open design is perfect for any back yard. You won’t need to worry about doors or windows if you don’t want to. Top the design off with asphalt roof shingles and you’ll have a waterproof, idyllic rest and play area for your kids right at home.