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 1568 reviews
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Brilliant bit of kit

I purchased a possum play couch and the arm rests and it’s fantastic. My 1 year old loves climbing my all over it and the base makes a lovely sleep mat for his downstairs naps.
I am also a childminder and the older children I care for absolutely love building different structures out of the couch. They use it as a trampoline sometimes and it holds up really well. There are no signs of wear and tear yet and it’s not been used lightly! Would absolutely recommend this to anyone!
*we have also used this for adults to sleep on and they all reported that it was very comfortable

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Wedge Set
Louisa A.
Best 'toy' we own

Honestly the whole possum play couch is the most used and best thing we bought for our children's playroom. They love it, and whenever friends come to stay their children love it too. It's comfy as a sofa too. Wedge set was a great addition to their play.

love it!!

my son and partner absolutely adore the possum play couch! it’s used every single day in my household. super easy to clean too!

Excellent Purchase

I missed the Christmas delivery deadline by a number of days but somehow it was still delivered in time for the big day. I was seriously impressed by this and really appreciated it. The couch itself lives up to all the reviews and research Id done. My two children use it differently but with equal enthusiasm. We use it as another armchair or footrest ourselves. The cushions are firm and excellent quality, I foresee many years of use and fun with this product.

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Wedge Set
Charlotte R.
Just amazing

This is one of the (if not THE) best thing we have ever bought for my daughter! She uses it every day. The possibilities for play are endless & we love pulling it out for movie night too!! The wedge cushions were a fantastic addition and she loves practicing her climbing and balancing. She no longer asks for screen time which is amazing too! Love it!!

Great buy for 3 year old

This is a quality toy and one which our 3 year old has loved from day 1. Tons of different ways to arrange the pieces and safe for our son to stay active and off any screens

Perfect high quality

Very impressed with the quality, no sagging or wrinkling they look great! Our 5yo & 2yo have had so much fun jumping, rolling, climbing these. And a nice place for me to rest in the playroom also.

Grandchildren’s fun lounge

We purchased the lounge with extra arms for two of our younger grandchildren, they are enjoying reading time, being creative making shapes to play on & in. Being well used. This is our 2nd Possum Play lounge we have purchased for grandchildren. Keeps its shape, great for play, relaxing & friends play dates. We are extremely happy with our 2nd purchase & so are our grandchildren. Ages 2, 3 & 5.

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Circle Set
Kate G.
Excellent product

My sweet girl adores this couch. It has helped immeasurably with her strength as she works on becoming more mobile.

Great fun

Expensive and big but the kids love it and have tried different ways of playing with it already, so it is worth it!

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Planks Set
Anonymous
Great set

We purchased the planks this year and the play couch last year. My little one is 3 and has endless amounts of fun everyday with both of them. The planks are very well made and strong. They are the perfect size for my little one to carry and make different obstacles with. I would highly recommend these products.

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Wedge Set
Daisy H.
Amazing

The wedge set is really sturdy and my almost 2 year old loves using it as a slide and climbing ramp as well as pushing his toy cars down it as a fun ramp. I’m so pleased with the colour and quality as well as how strong and sturdy they are and can tell after a few months they will be played with for years to come. Expensive, but good quality and worth it for the hours / years of play!

Amazing product. Very comfy to sit on.

My son loves his play couch

We love our play couch. I got some extra bits (like the crash mat) and we use all of it daily. My son loves running around so we have ours usually set up as a climbing course.
Such good quality, takes a beating and is just like the day it came. Worth the price for sure! I intend on adding bits every year.

Such a versatile quality product

We love our play couch. The quality is amazing and I love that it has removable covers that can be washed. The kids have lots of fun with all the different creations from the shapes. We have ours in the toy room and also use it as a reading spot or just to relax and sit while we watch the kids play.
We also needed somewhere for guests to sleep overnight, and this was another reason for buying this. Everyone who’s slept on this has said it’s so much more comfortable than the blow up air beds!
I even take it into the living room when we need some extra seating.
So happy with this purchase, it’s expensive but great quality, has multiple uses for us and is just so so comfortable. So well worth the money

Great fun!

My 16 month old granddaughter loves climbing around on her possum play cushions and hiding in/ crawling through a tunnel! I thought she might be a little young for it but am glad I bought it early for her. I can see that she will have many years of fun with it, especially when she is old enough to use it for creative, imaginative play as well.

Awesome!

Both us and our little girl is obsessed. We change its configuration daily and have loads of fun!

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Wedge Set
Maria W.
Amazing play sofa

Absolutely love our play sofa, bought it for our little girl’s 1st birthday and whilst it’s already getting some use, we can see how it will get even better as she grows up! So happy with it, an excellent purchase and would highly recommend it to any family with young kids

Kid loves it.

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Wedge Set
alex e.
We love our play couch!

We bought the play couch for our 14 month old son. He absolutely loves it! He loves climbing over all the different pieces, enjoys just sitting on it looking at books and we also bought the wedges which he enjoys sliding down and climbing up. We would definitely recommend it to others and we’re looking forward to the future den building as he grows. The possibilities are endless.
It’s also super comfy too!

The BEST!

My mum got a play couch for her house for when the kids stay.. well, all 4 of us siblings loved it so much we each got one for our own houses and kids - we just got ours as a Christmas present for our 3 kids (6, 4 & 2) and it has definitely not disappointed! They play with it every single day, we’ve used it as beds, pretend gladiators, dens, cars, gymnastics practice, crash pads, pretend giant monsters that eat them.. to name just a few. I love having a comfy seat in their room to read a story on and we even use it as extra seating in the living room. Because you can split it into 2 seats it’s easier to find space for (in a house crammed full of toys). We just love it!

Fun for playing and relaxing!

Best thing I have bought for the kids' rooms

My kids are 6 & 8, i was worried this would be a little too young for them as the advertising shows more toddlers but I am so so glad I got it. The quality is fantastic and feels really nice and sturdy. My kids absolutely love them and use them as chill out lounge chairs/sleep over beds for friends/movie nights etc. They have also reignited their love for building dens. I want buy more pieces to go with it. I held off a little as quite pricey and considered getting a proper sofa chair instead but really happy with my choice! Deliver was super quick too.

My Girls Love It

My girls got the grey set for Christmas from their Grandparents and they absolutely love it - they’ve made so many dens since Christmas Day! I think it will be something they play with for a long time. Delivery was fast and I’m really happy with the quality of the product

The best gift

We bought the possum play couch for Christmas and it was the best gift ever. Versatile to play with and wonderful for a good rest. We can easily take it from one room to another. We’ll definitely go for add-ons!