Build A Dream Playhouses {Review & Giveaway}

What is it with kids and cardboard? I can buy my kids the fanciest toys, and a lot of times, they just want to play with the box. They have had so much fun pushing each other around in big diaper boxes, and making "forts" out of big cardboard boxes. When I heard about Build A Dream Playhouses, I instantly knew these would be a hit with Rylie and Bryce!

Build a Dream makes cardboard playhouses that allow children to create the playhouse of their dreams. These playhouses make for hours of imaginative play, which is very important for children and their developing minds. The blank cardboard allows the products to be colored, painted, and decorated the way YOUR child wants it. There are no limitations when it comes to creating their masterpiece. These eco-friendly playhouses are extremely durable and safe.

We received the Imagine Wagon for review. Brian recently told Rylie a story about when he was a little boy and he used to wait for the ice cream man to come, and how excited he would get to go buy ice cream. She listened intently as he told her about his favorite treats from the Ice Cream Man. When I was making my choice between all of the awesome Build a Dream products, I just had to pick this cute ice cream truck.

Rylie was so excited to see the big box delivered to our house. I think she wanted to open it just so she could play with the box. But when she found out that she got to color all of the pieces inside, she was even more excited. We laid out the different parts of the Imagine Wagon on the floor, gave the kids some washable markers, and let them scribble all over it.

Now remember, my kids are 3 and 1, so of course the Imagine Wagon isn't going to come out looking like the one in the picture. They did have fun coloring on it for a little while, but they were more excited for Daddy to put it together so they could play in it. I think that older kids would have a great time designing their playhouse. There is a lot of surface to color, though, so I would definitely recommend paint for the older kids.

Once they were done "coloring" it, Daddy started putting it together...

It was actually very easy to put together. I think it took Brian about 15 minutes to fully assemble our Imagine Wagon. It probably would have gone much quicker without his two little "helpers". :-)

My kids absolutely LOVE their new ice cream truck! We have had this for a few weeks now and they are always in it. It has become a permanent fixture in our family room. I love watching them role play Daddy's story of the ice cream man. One will get in and the other will come up to the window and get their ice cream. It is SO CUTE!

Even though it looks like an ice cream truck, they also imagine that it is a bus. They bring chairs in it and one of them will drive the other to school. Even though Bryce can't talk yet, he really interacts with his sister and plays along well with whatever scenario she comes up with.

The Imagine Wagon is HUGE! There is plenty of room in it for both of the kids. Rylie even took a nap in it one day. It is also very sturdy. We have moved it several times, and my kids have been in and out of it more times than I can count, and it still looks like new. The bottom pieces fold up so that it doesn't tip easily.

As I said, the kids play in this almost every day. It has now been adorned with stickers on the front, and some pictures on the side. And when they want to color, I give them the markers and they decorate it some more.

We are 100% satisfied with our Imagine Wagon, and I highly recommend Build a Dream Playhouses to everyone!

Build A Dream Playhouses range in price from $39.95 to $69.95, with free shipping to the Continental United States. There are six different products to choose from, including a Snack Shack, Dream Machine and Kitchen.

~*~One of my readers is going to win their choice of a Build a Dream Playhouse!~*~

For more Build A Dream Giveaways, visit:
Family Friendly Frugality
The Frugal Free Gal

Mandatory entry: (This must be done in order for any optional entries to count) Visit Build a Dream Playhouses and let me know which one is your favorite.

Optional entries: After you make the mandatory first entry above, you can get one extra entry (unless stated otherwise) for each of the following (please leave a separate comment for each):

* Like Build A Dream Playhouses on Facebook (please tell them that The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! sent you)
* Follow @BuildADreamPH on Twitter
* Follow my blog publicly with Google Friend Connect (sidebar)
* Subscribe to my blog by email and confirm your subscription (sidebar)
* Like The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! on Facebook (leave your first name and last initial)
* Share this post on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the bottom of this post
* Follow @thelifeofrylie on Twitter (leave your user name)
* Tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting this tweet and leaving me the link to your tweet (you can tweet daily for an extra entry each day):

RT @thelifeofrylie Enter to #win a Build A Dream Playhouse for hours of imaginative play! http://bit.ly/gpcKAL #giveaway @BuildADreamPH

* Post my button on your sidebar or your blog roll for TWO extra entries (leave me two comments with a link to where I can find it)
* Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post for THREE extra entries (leave a link to your post in three separate comments)

Giveaway will end on April 8th at 9:00pm EST. The winner will be chosen by random.org. I will notify the winner by email within 24 hours, and you will have 48 hours to respond. If no response is received within that time frame, I will pick another winner. Please leave your email address or make sure it is in your profile so I will have a way to contact you. I will announce the winner once they have been confirmed. This giveaway is open to residents of the Continental US only.

Disclosure: This is my honest opinion. I received the Imagine Wagon at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. A big Thank You to Build A Dream Playhouses for providing the giveaway prize!