What’s a play couch and how do we use it?

Photo Credit: @growing_our_tribe

Are you looking for ways to keep your kids busy indoors (without pulling out the screens)? As a parent, you know better than anyone that little imaginations are always dreaming up new ways to play. So, why not give them the ultimate indoor playground to bring their wildest ideas to life?

That’s where a kids play couch comes in. With infinite configurations and a soft yet durable design, a play couch is perfect for open-ended, imaginative indoor play.

Want to make sure you’re getting the most fun out of your kids play couch? Keep reading to discover how to use a kids play couch and what creative builds your little ones can create.

What is a kids play couch?

In case you haven’t encountered one before, a play couch is part-toy, part-furniture, and one of the most versatile toys to hit lounge rooms since the cardboard box.

But let’s talk specifics. A kids play couch is made up of modular cushions, each in different shapes and sizes. The aim is this: to encourage your kids to build, climb, roll and slide their way through the afternoon....without deconstructing your adult couch.

Each cushion is made from lightweight but super durable materials, with non-slip, machine-washable covers that allow kids to configure each piece into a fort, castle, ship, obstacle course or anything else they want to create. It fosters the kind of imaginative indoor play that we all spent hours of our childhoods engaging in, but with a household item that is now custom built for this.

What makes a kids play couch an all-round winner is its unique ability to replace all those small toys that are cluttering your living room floor. Instead, a stylish play couch can live in your home year-round (yep, even when guests come around) and keep the kids entertained for years to come.

What makes a kids play couch an all-round winner is its unique ability to replace all those small toys that are cluttering your living room floor.

Possum Play Couch  in Bush Campfire mode

Why kids love play couches

We reckon every kid deserves to have a custom-built toy made for endless, imaginative play. And that’s exactly what a play couch delivers: a modular design that transforms into whatever creation your kids can dream up.

Here what your kids adore about a play couch:

1) It's perfect for rainy days: skip hours on the computer or swiping on the iPad. Instead, a play couch will keep little minds occupied as they sail the seas, whizz through a race track or venture into the jungle. A play couch suddenly turns the indoors into a whole playground.

2) They can throw themselves at it: soft cushions mean that kids can throw themselves on and at a play couch without hurting themselves or breaking household items. This means Mum and Dad are more willing to let them run and jump and do all those sorts of fun things indoors that usually are reserved for outside

3) It's all theirs!: Instead of getting in trouble for pulling apart the adult couch AGAIN, or being nagged to be careful not to spill something near the cushions, having a kid-dedicated play couch that is easy to clean means your children can truly make it their own and play with far fewer adult interruptions.

Possum Play Couch in Hidden Fort mode

Why parents love play couches

It’s not just little ones that are going crazy for play couches. Parents are also falling in love with this versatile toy for many reasons, including:

 

1) A play couch saves your actual sofa: A play couch gives your adult couch a well-deserved break! Ever gone to sit down and realised your couch cushions are already busy being critical parts of a fort construction? A play couch will take care of that problem for you and ensure your adult sofa is finally left in peace.

2) A play couch encourages inter-sibling play: Play couches foster the kind of sibling play and family time that almost all parents are looking for. While many small toys are hard for siblings to play with at the same time, a play couch really comes to life when you have someone to help hoist cushions, crash down walls, or snuggle into a nook with. Suitable for play for all ages, from babies to teens, a play couch helps set the stage for inter-sibling play, and some peace for parents from squabbling along the way.

3) A play couch can get dirty... and clean again easily: A well made play couch (like The Possum!) has easy cleaning as a key product feature. We're talking stain-resistant covers that are mostly spot cleaned with a damp cloth, while also been removable and machine-washable. Because no parent wants to be stressing about the inevitable spills and stains that come with play.

4) You'll find yourself using it a lot too!: Many parents are surprised by how often they end up using a play couch, as well as their kids. Movie nights, a spare bed, or just an incredibly comfortable spot to lounge on at the end of the evening (with a cup of tea or glass of wine in hand), the play couch has no age limit and many parents report getting incredible use out if it themselves, both with and without their kids around.

5) It's a kids toy that actually looks good: No plastic parts, primary colours, or high pitched music coming from this toy. As well as being a seriously fun item for your kids, a play couch can be a stylish piece of furniture when it's not in play mode that can live happily in shared family spaces. The Possum comes in 7 stylish colours carefully selected to be interior and adult friendly.

 

Possum Play Couch in Halfpipe mode

Why we built The Possum, Australia & New Zealand's ultimate kids play couch

Building forts and castles out of couch cushions and sheets has been part of Australian and New Zealand childhoods for generations. But until kids play couches came along, it meant deconstructing beds, linen cupboards and pulling apart the adult’s couch. This and all of the wonderful reasons above, is why our Co-Founders Renee and Giorgia created the ultimate kids play couch, The Possum.

Suddenly realising that your home needs a play couch in it? Check out The Possum Play Couch to get yourself sorted!

Stay in the loop

Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about product drops, for imaginative play inspiration and other exciting updates.

Based on 1500 reviews
96%
(1436)
3%
(39)
0%
(7)
1%
(8)
1%
(10)

The Possum Play Couch (with Circle Set)

Fun times

My grandkids have been having such a wonderful time with the possum play I bought them for Christmas - they find endless creative ways to use the various cushions as obstacle courses for themselves, their cars, their soft animals, etc and this always results in hours of fun and laughter together. Early evening they enjoy sitting together with their parents for quiet story time. "Best present ever” my 8 year old grandson told me, and that says it all!

Bought for granddaughter for Xmas

We decided to get this little sofa set for our granddaughter. It’s lovely couch better than I expected, it’s excellent quality & delivery was very prompt.
She’s loved sitting in this for her play time & it has helped her to pull herself up & down as she was struggling to do this b4 Xmas.
She is the 3rd child in our family to have this sofa as we saw it at my husbands nephew & nieces house as they had got it for their children 1-4 up.
It’s quite robust & even an adult can sit in it.
Would definitely recommend this sofa for children as it gives them their own space & an ideal little sofa for their playroom or bedroom.
My daughter was so happy to receive it as a gift for her little one as it was a bit pricey for them so this is why we decided to buy it for granddaughter Xmas.
100% recommend for anyone looking to buy this. Cushion can be put any way to build up or down. The grand children love it.

Excellent Purchase

I had been looking at this for some time and finally decided to swap out the couch we had in our toy room for this as a Christmas present to my three children (aged 6,3,1) and they all love it. I highly recommend.

Love it!

We’ve had some great fun with our couch and practicing climbing (and falling) all day every day! Slightly bit static but that comes with the soft material. Overall, great product and would happily buy another!

Worth every penny

Love the possum play. Was a Christmas gift for my twin 2 year olds who loved jumping and climbing on the bed. They’ve played with it everyday and keep asking for different designs to jump and climb on or hide in. The quality is really good and you can tell you’ve paid for high standards. Just seeing how excited they get playing on it makes me know it was worth it and will be a toy that will grow with them. The sage green is a beautiful colour and the material is so soft.

Phenomenal company

Our play sofa is the most loved item in our house. The waterproof covers were easy to put on, it’s super soft fabric but firm enough foam to keep its shape. Excellent customer service and lovely people behind the brand too. Thank you x

Worth it!

It’s an investment, but when I say our girls play with this all day, that’s no exaggeration. They come back to the couch throughout the day and create something different each time. We love it!

Great product!

Our son loves it! Since we put it in his bedroom he spends way more time playing in there. Delighted with the purchase.

What fun!

What a fun present for our children (10 months and 3.5 years)! I didn’t think the little one would enjoy it until she was quite a bit bigger but she loves pulling herself up using it and has enjoyed playing with her brother with the different designs. Our son also loves it! It will be enjoyed for years to come - we can’t wait to use it for film nights and sleepovers when they’re older.

My only complaint is that it didn’t exist when I was little. Please can we go back in time so I can have it for my childhood too?

Great 😊

I will say that so for everybody is in love with it, and my kids enjoy time playing with their possum play couch ❤️, I hope they will be able to play on it for years 🙏.

J
Cylinder Set
John S.
Multipurpose fun!

The cylinders (can't currently find on the website) were added to our sofa set by Santa this year, and have been multipurpose since, from playing gladiators to disco accessories, trying to balance on top to just right for in front of the fire, well used and loved!

The sofa set is from Christmas 2023, used weekly, and especially handy for sleepovers!

Love it! Better than the nugget.

I’m so glad I got this, we had a nugget before and I loved it too but this one is more firm and the color (lilac) is so pretty.

Bought for my 1 year old grandson and he loves it.

One of the best toys

I love my kids new Possum Play Couch! I have lots of fun testing out new builds, getting creative with new structures and using my imagination to design so many different ways to assemble these 12 pieces. And my kids just love knocking it all down hahaha.
If you are slightly creative or into engineering or architecture, or have a kid that loves building stuff then you’ll really enjoy building with a Possum Play Couch.

The Possum Play Couch (with Circle Set)

So far, so perfect

Bought for Christmas, 5yo and 3yo loving it.

Ottimo prodotto!

Spedizione veloce e imballaggio perfetto. Materiale ottimo, come da descrizione! Sono molto soddisfatta!

So much fun!

This was a Christmas gift from my brother and sister in law and our daughter Haley loves it so much. She’s been using it so much and in countless different ways. The best present ever!

5 stars! Best Christmas present ever!

My 3 year old has already played with his new couch 278947 times since Christmas Day. It was the best present he has been given with endless opportunities. Even my 3 month old has been loving it as well, rolling all over. 100% recommend!!! Have had friends purchase since seeing ours!

Life saver

My son is an energizer bunny with a drive for testing the limits of physics. This mat has allowed him to explore throwing himself from heights (the bed, the lounge and coffee table) and understand the implications of this in a safe way. This means I don’t need to watch his every move during these periods of high energy. He also loves to lay in/on this and watch some tv, play with dinos and generally unwind. Great purchase and likely we will get one for grandma and grandpa’s place too.

Love it

My kids love it. It is more part of the daily play for my baby and toddler. For the entire family actually. We build houses, playgrounds with slides and others. The material is super qualitative and impermeable. Even my husband was very impressed that the coffee did not get into the sponge, when it felt on it by accident.

Love it!

Endless fun

This couch is loved by both my toddler and baby, I expect it will be a hit for years to come! It’s a castle, a stables, a bed, tent, stage, hill etc etc! So pleased with it, fab for the days you can’t get out due to bad weather!

Great sofa, super comfy and has helped my baby learn to walk!