Wonderworld Eco-House

I fell in lust with the Eco House from Wonderworld the very first time I saw it. I loved the solar panels and windmill, and the sheer gorgeousness of it. Unfortunately that was at the end of last year and our Christmas budget was spent in September.

I've continued to spot it everywhere, it's been taunting me and showing off it's little recycling bins and water butt. During the Christmas period we had already bought boy no.4 a selection of smaller items for his birthday this March and didn't think we could justify getting him something big to go with it, but then a wondrous thing happened - he got birthday money!

Without consultation we spent his money, fortunately we know him quite well and he adores small world play and has a great imagination, he spends most of his time playing with 'figures', so we knew we'd be safe.

The open plan layout means this is ideal for more than one child to play at the same time, or just for one younger child who isn't so precise with their play, and the size is a good fit for Playmobil and lots of other little character ranges and vehicles. 

It is a brilliant tool for teaching children to think about the world around them and why we do certain things? Where does electricity come from? Why would you collect water in a water butt? It encourages them to think about materials - which things are glass, plastic, paper? What can we recycle?

Next Monday is Earth Day 2013 and a day when we are encouraged to think about greener and more sustainable alternatives. I fully believe that education should start when our children are very young, and consideration of everyone and everything within our environment should be something that is second nature to them.

This is a really accurate depiction of an ideal eco-house. Our teenagers have spent months doing projects designing eco-houses and the open plan, glass walled, fireplace in the centre of the house layout is spot on. The scooter is electric, the house creates it's own energy, water is collected and waste recycled, they shower - no baths and they grow their own veg. 

The Eco-House is currently on special offer at The Toadstool for £98, which is I feel is a very fair price. It is fairly traded, made in Thailand from sustainably forested Rubberwood and painted with water based non-toxic paints. It should easily outlast your child, it is really robust and has huge scope for play. It is totally appropriate for either girls or boys and has so many fantastic little details which are just not available or thought of usually. We love it!