I have a picture of me sitting in my wooden train when I was six years old. My father used to build me garden play houses, trains, and forts. He was a skilled licensed contractor with a lot of spare wood around. He was not going to pay for one when he could create and build his own. If you had a dad like me you know what I mean.

But unless you are like my dad, skilled and licensed to build things, you probably will go to your local store that specializes in garden play houses. With all of these electronic gizmos on the market which keep kids playing on their computer or in front of their televisions a play house is a great idea. Is the complaint about kid's video games over? Have parents simply given up the fight against violent video games?

Have parents surrendered to the video game manufacturers? Or have they no alternative to these games of killing and mayham? Give your children what they want, a chance to use their imagination. Do this and you will not have to wrest the video game out of their hands. Kids choose video games because no one is offering anything else to them. Change that.

Imagination exercise is what a play house is all about. Your daughter can have her friends over for a tea party. Your son can have a little library of all his favourite books. He can have a writing desk where he can practice his creative writing. Play houses are like regular houses these days. They have roofs that keep the rain out and windows with safety glass to keep out the wind.

And talk about variety. Does your child want a Victorian style house or does she prefer a Cape Cod look. Or you can customize it to look like your real house.

This might surprise you but a play house gives your child pride of ownership. It will actually help him or her plan on owning his or her home someday. It will build a sense of responsibility in your child. He or she now has his or her home to care for.

I remember that when I had my own I was happy to invite my friends over and see it. We spent time in there just as if it was my own home. But what difference was that compared to what we as adults do in our own homes? A play house is simply done on a smaller scale.

You give your children a chance to prepare for their future. A time when they will have a home like the one their parents own and it helps them prepare and plan for that time. Compared to killing and destroying things on their video computer garden play houses are a sound investment.