Outdoor Toys

There are cubby houses and there are cubby houses. Some will get used day in and day out while others will be just another piece of furniture taking up yard space. It’s a fair investment dollar wise so you want to spend wisely. I’ve found some of the best cubby house kits in Australia, without a doubt. Take a look at the small and large cubbies here.

When it comes to playtime, this outdoor play equipment is definitely worth the investment. You want your kids to get some vitamin D, fresh air and enjoy their outside activities.

Different Types Of Cubby Houses

As you can see by the pictures below, there are a few different options to choose from. You can choose a raised cubby, funky style, a cubby with a slide and also what size or colour suits your child or home. You can click on the pictures to get a better look and more information. Also, some are on sale so you can get a discount cubby house if you are quick!

Things to Take into Account When Buying a Playhouse

Here are five tips to keep in mind when you are selecting your cubby.

Check the size of your yard and whether to use the front or back yard.
Decide where you want the cubby house kit to be installed as position is important; including angle, surrounding trees, scrubs, etc.
Do you want extras such as a cubby with a slide or a playhouse with a sand pit?
Do you want an elevated cubby house?
Will you need room in your yard for other play equipment in the future, such as a trampoline?

That should pretty much cover it as a checklist of what to consider before you make your purchase. We had a cubby with a slide but the slide was too close to the tree and the kids didn’t play on it much as a result. That’s why I say it is important to consider the position of the cubby house. You also don’t want it in full sun if you live in somewhere like Queensland. So, consider what’s in your garden that might be a hazard and also the weather.

When my kids were babies I took them to playgroup and they had some great cubbie house accessories. I learned what was best, from what they played with the most. So, it’s great to get a few items for inside the cubby such as wooden storage shelves for cups, plates, play food and so on. Also, a sink, Fridge and small table and chairs are great to make the playhouse fully functional and a place the kids want to go to play. Even such things as a chalk board, table cloth, menu (For when they play restaurants) and cleaning equipment are great. We had a cubby vacuum and sponge, bucket and mop and the kids loved these items to use for role play.

Our cubby house was wooden as you can see from the picture above. We decided to make it elevated because we wanted a slide and were going to enclose the underneath to use for storage, which never ended up happening as we sold the house. We also had a rope net to climb up one side of the cubby and it did get a lot of use.

Lastly, just make sure you get something that is age appropriate. No good getting a cubby house kit if your child is too young to use it or you have to be out there supervising the entire time.

I would often joke that our cubby was so well decked out that I was going to move in! They really are loads of fun for kids so definitely worth the investment.

Alex’s Mum signing off so we can get back to playing!

Trampoline Injuries – Vuly Design the Best Choice For Safety

With an astounding one quarter of childhood injuries on play equipment being related to trampolines in Australia alone, it’s important to make the right decision. As cited in this research paper, that was published in 2012, the traditional style of trampoline can result in higher and more severe injury.

One important factor to consider with injuries is that a high percentage related to the collision; more than one child on the trampoline at a time. It is not recommended that there is more than one on a trampoline at a time in order to keep play safe.

The design of trampolines has changed over more recent years and there has been a price tag to match. Even so, I like to compare the price of a quality trampoline that is an ongoing fun activity, to a holiday or general toy spending. It is still a good investment given the hours your kids will be jumping.

I don’t recommend spring trampolines with no enclosure. Further, it is important to look at the overall design of the trampoline to make sure it does have superior safety features. That’s what I love about Vuly Thunder Trampolines. Here is my Vuly Thunder Trampoline review.

My Experience With The Vuly Thunder Trampoline

Yes, I did buy a Vuly Thunder Trampoline and yes I did a LOT of research prior to my purchase. So, you can thank me below by leaving a comment 🙂

I was impressed with the customer service. My Vuly basketball hoop didn’t make delivery as they were sold out prior to Christmas, but they did keep me informed and it wasn’t long until it arrived. Even pre-sale, the service was pretty good.

I was given the number of a couple of people in Melbourne who could undertake the vuly thunder installation and I did decide to get a guy out to install the trampoline. I am glad I did as, even though it is a relatively simple process once you see it in action, it is time consuming and he knew the steps to take rather than me having to read up about what to do. It did involve some bending of the leaf system poles as you can see by the picture I have provided and he did say you needed to know where to bend them.

All up I think it took 2 hours to install it – and this was the large Vuly Thunder trampoline that I got. I have not encountered any issues after installation and the kids love the vuly thunder. I mean REALLY use it. They are on it before school some mornings and even before Breakfast sometimes and then they do use it every night. They even jump on it in the rain.

10 Top Questions Prior to Buying a Trampoline

I know that before I bought the Vuly Thunder Trampoline for my kids for Christmas 2013, that I had a few questions. The price range varies greatly between the spring trampolines and the springfree trampolines. I based my decision to buy a vuly thunder on the following criteria. So, I’ve done the research and hard work for you.

1. What sizes are available?

There are three sizes for the Vuly Thunder Trampoline:

medium,
large (the one I got)
and extra large

2. What shapes are available?

You can select round, round or, let’s see…ummm……. round. That’s all that is available at the time of writing this post, when it comes to the Vuly Thunder Trampoline so that’s a consideration for where in your yard you put the vuly thunder or if the shape will suit. I’m happy with it being round even though initially I was interested in a rectangular shaped trampoline.

3. What is the bounce like?

The vuly thunder has been designed to have the best bounce of any backyard trampoline. My children and I were highly impressed with the bounce. Generally kids don’t think too much about bounce to comment about it but when my kids first tried the Vuly Thunder, they told me it had the best bounce ever.

It has a unique tapered leaf spring that is different to anything else out there and makes it better than the spring free trampoline, in my opinion.

4. Which is a good size given how many kids I have and their ages

It is generally not a good idea to have more than one child on a trampoline at any given time as that is when many injuries happen. Vuly does recommend the following:

medium ideal for big back yards and jumpers of all ages. Jump mat diameter – 2.5m
large ideal for extra large yards and general family use. Jump mat diameter – 3.2m
and extra large ideal for huge backyards and general family use. Jump mat diameter – 3.8m

5. Does the trampoline have a safety net or enclosure?

Yes, absolutely and even if you crash into it you won’t hit the poles or hurt yourself on the ground if you fall into it like you can do with cheaper brands. It also boasts the tallest safety net in Australia – to go with that super bounce we talked about and experienced.

6. Is the trampoline spring free? If not, what is the padding like?

The Vuly Thunder has a unique leaf spring system that connects to the mat underneath. There is no need for padding and that can be a saving too as you will not have padding to replace. It is simply the mat lining up with the enclosure net. No springs, no padding in sight. Very impressive!

7. How weather resistant is the net?

Made of super strong Silk Terylene, the Vuly Thunder net is UV-rated and won’t leave grazes like other netting materials.

8. What is the Vuly trampoline price?

Prices do change over time so it may be best to check out the vuly thunder prices here.

9. What about Vuly accessories?

There are 3 accessories (and the bonus games you can play from the printed pictures on the trampoline).

We got the basketball hoop that has a super safe hoop attached and is pre-assembled in the box. You simply clip it onto the top of the pole you choose and start playing. It also comes with a free ball and pump.

The Vuly Tent came free with our purchase. The kids were super excited about this. You do need a tall ladder to put it up on the Vuly Thunder so keep that in mind.

The Vuly Deck is also available but we didn’t get that one – yet!

10. What is the support and delivery like?

I found support to be very good and the delivery was pretty fast. I have no complaints. Everything comes with instructions and video instructions are also available which is super handy, and you can do live chat with Vuly if you really need help.

Overall The Vuly Thunder Rocks!

I’m extremely impressed with the Vuly Thunder and I have no regrets about spending the extra to get a good quality trampoline that is the safest trampoline around. Vuly does have another range that is cheaper and it is called the Vuly Classic.

Have you found this review useful? If so, we would love for you to leave a comment below.

Alex’s Mum signing out, so we can get back to playing.