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!

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Based on 1462 reviews
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Such Fun

After a long search for soft play items for my 9 year old Granddaughter I came across your website. It ticked every box. Bigger than the others, fantastic quality, able to add to & so many different colours. My GD absolutely loves it. She has made so many different forts, hideaways, chairs, sofas & it's big enough (& strong enough) to have as a bed. We even added the armrests to the order too. Very quick delivery. Extremely happy Granddaughter 😊

Great Christmas present

Kids love it. It’s used daily and a happy bonus is it’s also freed up the grown up sofas! And has stopped my 3 year old jumping on/off the grown up sofas too. Win win win! Bought the waterproof covers - best decision. Thinking of buying a spare/second set of covers, maybe in a different colour but love the babycino/beige as it can go in any room. My 6 year old even asks to take the couch up to bed to sleep on he loves it that much.

Amazing

I’m always sceptical about any kids items and their longevity but the sofa is really a great investment. Since we bought it it’s being used almost every day. My kids come back to it over and over again coming up with new uses. I had it over 2 months and it still looks great.

Great for obstacle course play

Both my 3 year old and my 1 year old love this for making little obstacle courses. My 1 year old loves climbing over it and as long as supervised it's safe and squishy fun.

J
Wedge Set
James K.

Wedge Set

Amazing kids couch

Amazing kids couch. Perfect for the rough and tumble play that my 2 year old twins love. Will keep them entertained for hours during the long English winter. Love it!

Fantastic

We have had the play couch for a little over a year and have recently purchased the crash mat, it keeps the kids (4year old and 18month old) entertained for hours and hours at a time. A fantastic addition!

Worth the investment

We absolutely love our play couch (adults included!). We weren't sure whether to take the plunge but we're so glad we did. It's loved by our 4 year old and our 1 year old and is used every day in various ways. I was hoping it would help us to reduce screen time and give our son a physical outlet for his energy, and so far it's doing just that!

Hours of fun!

This was a gift for my youngest grandchildren and is the perfect gift! Already they have had hours of fun! A real hit.

T
Wedge Set
Teresa K.
Durable and fun stackable couch

Our 1 1/2 year old grandson loves his stackable couch. So many ways to have fun and be safe at the same time. Great for building levels to climb on or just a fun place to read a book. Highly recommended for toddlers!!

C
Moon Arch Set
Cassia M.
A family favourite

We love it so much! It’s exactly what we expected it to be and more! Thank you so much Possum team!

Fun

The best gift I could have given our grandchildren.

excellent quality -the fastest delivery

than you for your fast delivery. the product is excellent , the couch is my daughter's favorite corner in her room.

B
Crash Pad
Brooke M.
High quality

My two boys love this crash pad! It’s really well made and quite big!

The best addition to our living room

Our girls love this. The 3 yo is practising gymnastics, making a stage or a house every day and our youngest is just learning to cruise and she is drawn to it. A bonus it also looks lovely.

Best christmas present ever!

I ordered the sage green possum play couch, and the sage green arms as a gift for my 4+2 year old for christmas. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the kids reactions, but there hasn’t been a day since christmas they haven’t used it! We’ve made a racecar, dens, used it as a bed for a sleepover and so much more. So pleased I decided to buy one!

Best thing I have bought for my child

My 20 month old is obsessed. It is so good for his balance, movement, motor skills, creativity and getting some quality exercise. It brings him so much daily joy and we love that it is an investment that will be enjoyed for years to come in many different ways.

A complete success.

A wonderful product loved by my 3 year old daughter. Very good quality. Very responsive customer service.

Great investment for our little girl

We love our possum! We really deliberated on spending the money as seemed such a lot, but now we have it we have no regrets. Already getting so much use out of it for our 2.5 year old, and the quality is great so we are reassured we will be using it for many years to come! A spare bed, forts, climbing, padding for the floor now we have taken the cot side off - already had so many different uses and we have only had it up since Christmas day!

Great toy for enthusiastic boys!

My four-year-old and six-year-old have already had great enjoyment from this since Christmas! It has been everything from a boat to a fort.

Great fun

Loved by my boys! Making forts and indoor soft play!

Excellent Christmas Present

We got this for our kids for Christmas because we have a bit of a strange shaped room and wanted them to be able to rearrange their furniture easily, the pieces were all high quality and the foam is so comfortable that me and my wife crash on them when the kids are in bed - the triangle pillows are especially comfy to lean over. Was VERY confused when the pack arrived so compressed but they expand a treat. Would definitely recommend this product highly!

The Possum Play Couch (with Circle Set)

One of the best gifts this Christmas

My 5 and 7 year old love their new Possum Play Couch. I was concerned that my 7 year old might not be that excited about it but I was wrong! They have had great fun so far making armchairs and dens etc. and even took the base cushions on a sleepover! Really comfy & soft; the quality is beautiful and the material cleans very easily.

Excellent product

Our 4 year old loves this. It is such a versatile toy, and means we get our sofa cushions back! Seems very easy to clean.