The Imagine (meanwhile ImagiNew) Playhome is supposed to bring fun to the little ones – but is it also convincing in terms of stability and handling? We tested the DHDL product in advance.
Many children find it great fun when they can retreat to their own little space that they can decorate however they like – and by that I don’t mean their own room. It is often much more exciting when the place of retreat is a self-built cave under the table or a playhouse that the little ones can retreat to. The Imagine Playhome (now ImagiNew Playhome) aims to provide just that: a retreat that kids can customize to their own liking. But does the paintable playhouse convince both the little ones and the big ones in the everyday test? We have extensively tested the DHDL product.
Imagine Playhome at DHL: That’s how the idea came about
This situation will be familiar to some parents: During the 2020 lockdown, it was often boring, especially for the children, to have to stay at home most of the time. Therefore, the parents were always asked to be resourceful. Family man Roman Römmich built his children a playhouse out of cardboard during this difficult time – and came up with the idea of developing a model that you can redesign over and over again as you wish.
A short time later, the 34-year-old brought the Imagine Playhome onto the market: a paintable playhouse that can even be extended if necessary. It should convince with simple and quick assembly, stability and possibilities for creativity. But does it really?
The first impression
At least my five-year-old son’s eyes lit up when he opened the rather bulky package, because: the packaging is of course colorful and child-friendly and promises fun. According to the manufacturer, the product is suitable for children from the age of three. Eight components are included, a pencil set with four pencils, two sticker sheets with the themes farm and general store as well as instructions. It is immediately noticeable: the pens come in the colors red, orange, green and blue. There are no colors like black or yellow – and only the supplied pens should be used, because this ensures that they can really be wiped away. The selection is a little sparse there. The stickers are big, colorful and nice and firm. For my son, who is enthusiastic about painting and handicrafts, the selection here is a bit too mediocre. Nevertheless, that didn’t dampen the anticipation of getting started and we tried to set it up right away.
The handling
Which actually seems very simple – how difficult can it be to assemble eight components with Velcro? – was not as uncomplicated to implement as the instructions made it seem. In fact, it is a bit fiddly to glue the very bulky parts together as straight as possible and I needed the help of my son in between, who had to hold something from time to time. In order for the little house, which is about one meter high, to be really firmly glued together in the end, I had to take something off and put it back together again. In the end, however, a very robust and solid playhouse came out.
At first it looked very “naked” and a little unattractive: After all, only white, structured plastic catches the eye. But it invites you to start gluing and painting. And there are also stickers and pens for that. However, the stickers were used up very quickly during our test, because my little one not only wanted the house to be beautiful on the outside, but also to make it chic inside. Because the stickers stick well there too. Of course, they quickly lose their grip once they have fallen into the dirt.
But even with four colors and two sheets of stickers, designing is fun and you can always come up with new pictures. The house can also be designed inside and, of course, pimped up comfortably with blankets and pillows. Time flies when building, painting, gluing and playing and we actually had a lot of fun designing. And while it’s a little small for my son, it didn’t bother him at all while playing.
The conclusion
The idea of the playhouse, which can be rearranged over and over again, is great and is well received by the little ones: they can withdraw, paint inside and outside and glue as much as they can and set up and relocate the little house anywhere (albeit with the help of the parents). What the children don’t mind – for example, that residues of the works of art can be seen or that it is not quite stable – the grown-ups are certainly more likely to see. You can still wipe the self-painted pictures with a damp cloth even after a longer period of time. A few residues can still be seen, however, because they get stuck in the structure. In addition, the stickers don’t last as well after repeated use, because children’s hands naturally get them dirty quickly. In addition, the selection of colors and stickers is a bit sparse.
But great: You can connect several of the playhouses with the Velcro and thereby create a playhouse landscape. This is especially nice for families with a garden. The fact that the Imagine Playhome can be used both indoors and outdoors is also practical. We didn’t test whether the Velcro fastener still held up well when it rained and whether the images were blurred. However, it is declared as wind and water resistant. With a weight of five kilos, it will probably stand up safely in the garden even in a light wind.
In the end, the downsides don’t stop the fun. The price-performance ratio of the Imagine Playhome is fair and the product serves its purpose. And as a parent, you’ll know that as long as the little ones are having fun and being happily occupied, the little things don’t matter.
Roman Römmich is hoping for a good deal with his Imagine Playhome in “The Cave of the Lions” and is offering 20 percent of his company shares for an investment of 50,000 euros. You can see whether the 34-year-old can convince the lions with his idea tonight from 8:15 p.m. on Vox.
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