Little Tikes LOL Surprise Cottage Playhouse Review
THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER'S OWN.

Reviewed by Kathryn Harrison
The opportunity to review the Little Tikes LOL Surprise Cottage Playhouse couldn’t have come at a better time. Two weeks into Lockdown, it was a fantastic surprise for my two young daughters. I have never seen them so giddy as when the huge, flat pack box adorned with a picture of its contents, landed on our doorstep.
As an advocate of more traditional, wooden style toys and play equipment, this bright pink, plastic, LOL branded, dare I say it, ‘monstrosity’ didn’t appeal. But I’m not 4. I knew that this brightly coloured playhouse would be considered ‘hot property’ by my two girls and hence I agreed to give this house a home. Its glam, glitter walls, working window shutters, two doors and letterbox, worked my girls into a frenzy. Cries of, “We love it! We love it! We love it!” reverberated around the four walls that have steadily been closing in on us. The garden has been our escape and the LOL Playhouse was a welcome addition that would help our small patch of lawn retain its appeal as we continue to isolate, a family of four, eager to keep things fun for our almost three and five-year-old.
The husband was tasked with the construction of the house. The children watched eagerly from the window. I supervised all! Included instructions in hand, the house was built in under 15 minutes. It took about the same time again to adorn it with the stickers. Mr H admitted the sticking was the trickiest part of the task as there were no guidelines; he was required to find the hidden Interior Designer within. Definitely not an issue. You could chose to leave the stickers off and the house would be no less a sanctuary for the sprogs. And a sanctuary is just what they need in these unprecedented times; an exciting outdoor escape when a trip up the garden path is as far an adventure allowed.
The playhouse is as sturdy to an adult as it is stylish to a child. Inside, it’s remarkably roomy and we even pulled off an ‘indoors’ picnic for my two and four-year old, without incident. It’s definitely more ‘Room on the Broom-esque’ than ‘A Squash & A Squeeze’. Standing 124cm tall, 108cm wide and with a depth of 88cm, it fits neatly into a corner of our relatively compact garden. Weighing in at just over 16kg, it isn’t difficult to shift around the garden when we mow the lawn. (By ‘we’, I don’t actually mean ‘me’!)
I was surprised to see that the playhouse is recommended for age 5 and older. In my eyes, it’s perfect for those younger. It may be that the LOL brand targets those slightly older than my two (who thankfully haven’t yet caught on to the surprise fashion doll craze.) The colour alone is enough to appeal to any little one who’s up for some imaginary play in their very own pad. The branded decals feature some of the favourite LOL Surprise characters so if you do have a fan of the dolls, these digs won’t disappoint.
My girls have had hours of fun, hiding inside the playhouse, popping up at the windows, throwing the shutters open and running in and out of its two doors. That’s not to mention, posting grass, leaves and twigs through its letterbox. The house also has a flag holder, which I haven’t as yet brought to my daughters’ attention. The source of my only disappointment in the product is that the flag holder comes without a flag. A problem that can be easily remedied. When I get round to it.
At £129.99, the LOL Surprise Cottage is priced very similarly to other plastic playhouses on the market. It’s an investment, especially if you purchase one when the kids are younger to get multiple years’ occupancy. Those familiar with Little Tikes products will know that they’re pretty good at withstanding the elements, both environmental and kid-mental. I don’t believe this new product will be any different.
Funky and fun, the LOL Playhouse is proving to be a real home from home for my two little girls.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
RRP: £129.99
Can be purchased online at Amazon, Smyths, Argos and Little Tikes.
For more information, go to: https://www.littletikes.co.uk/l-o-l-surprise-cottage-playhouse