At Lilliput Play Homes, we believe that every great playhouse needs an equally amazing play kitchen! Whether your little chef is whipping up imaginary feasts or hosting a pretend bake-off, our handcrafted play kitchens provide the perfect space for creative play. We offer four different kitchen sets—each designed to inspire endless hours of fun and match the charm of our beautifully built playhouses.

Caleb Kitchen – A Cozy Culinary Corner

🛠️ 3-piece set – Includes a play refrigerator, sink, oven, and wall shelves.
The Caleb Kitchen is perfect for smaller playhouses or little chefs who love simplicity. With all the essentials—fridge, sink, and oven—kids can engage in all kinds of pretend play, from washing dishes to baking their favorite make-believe treats. The addition of wall shelves provides extra space for play food, dishes, or even cute decorative touches!

Mason Kitchen – A Step Up in Style

🛠️ 5-piece set – Includes a play refrigerator, sink, oven, and wall cabinets.
For those looking for a more expanded kitchen experience, the Mason Kitchen adds extra storage with wall cabinets! This setup allows little ones to organize their play kitchen just like a real one, giving them more room to store their toy pots, pans, and utensils while keeping their play space tidy.

Hunter Kitchen – The Ultimate Play Kitchen Experience

🛠️ 7-piece set – Includes a play refrigerator, sink, oven, dishwasher, range hood, and wall cabinets.
The Hunter Kitchen is the dream setup for little ones who love to pretend they’re running their own gourmet restaurant. The addition of a play dishwasher and range hood makes this a truly immersive space where kids can “clean up” after cooking, experiment with new recipes, and enjoy a full pretend kitchen experience. Perfect for larger playhouses or for families who want to encourage the most imaginative play possible!

Custom Play Kitchens – Designed Just for You!

Want a play kitchen that perfectly matches your child’s playhouse? We offer custom-built play kitchens designed to fit your unique space and style. Whether you want a specific color, extra storage, or a layout tailored to your little one’s needs, we’ll bring your dream playt kitchen to life!

Why Choose a Lilliput Play Kitchen?

✨ Handcrafted Quality – Just like our playhouses, our play kitchens are built to last with beautiful attention to detail.
🧠 Encourages Creativity – Imaginative play helps children develop problem-solving skills, communication, and independence.
🏡 Perfect Fit for Any Playhouse – Whether you choose one of our sets or go custom, our kitchens seamlessly complement our playhouses!

Let’s Build the Perfect Play Space

A playhouse is just the beginning—add a play kitchen and watch the fun unfold! Explore our kitchen options and contact us today to create the ultimate imaginative play experience.
📧 Contact us: [email protected]
📞 Call us: (724) 348-7071

We can’t wait to build something magical for you!

At Lilliput Play Homes, we bring dreams to life with our beautifully handcrafted playhouses. But did you know you can meet us in person and see our designs up close? Whether you’re looking for a custom playhouse, an addition to your amusement park, or simply want to chat with our team, here’s where you can find us throughout the year!

1. IAAPA Expo – The Ultimate Amusement Industry Event

📍 Orlando, FL | 📅 November 18-21, 2025
The IAAPA Expo is the premier event for the amusement and attractions industry, and we’re thrilled to be part of it! If you’re in the theme park, family entertainment, or hospitality business and are looking for a charming and unique playhouse experience for your venue, come visit our booth. You’ll see firsthand how our custom-built playhouses add a magical touch to any space.

2. The MAiZE Show – Perfect for Agritainment Businesses

📍 Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN | 📅 March 10-11, 2025
Are you a corn maze or agritourism business looking to create an unforgettable experience for your guests? The MAiZE Show is the go-to event for farm-based entertainment, and this year, it’s happening at the iconic Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN! We’ll be there showcasing our one-of-a-kind playhouses that delight children and families alike. Meet our team to discuss how a Lilliput Play Home can elevate your farm’s attractions!

3. Visit Us at Our Shop in Pittsburgh, PA!

📍 Pittsburgh, PA | 📅 Year-Round
Can’t make it to one of the events? No problem! You’re always welcome to visit our shop in Pittsburgh, where you can see our craftsmanship up close and chat with our team. Whether you’re designing a dream playhouse for your little one or planning an addition to a commercial space, we’d love to help bring your vision to life.

Let’s Connect!

We love meeting customers and helping them find the perfect playhouse. If you plan to attend any of these events or want to schedule a visit to our shop, reach out to us in advance—we’d love to chat!

📧 Contact us: [email protected]
📞 Call us: 724-348-7071

We can’t wait to meet you and bring a little more magic into your world!

As parents, caregivers, and educators, we often focus on structured activities and educational tools to help young children learn and grow. However, there is one powerful, yet sometimes overlooked, aspect of childhood development: imaginative play. From pretending to be superheroes to building elaborate worlds with blocks, imaginative play offers invaluable opportunities for children to develop a wide range of skills that form the foundation for their cognitive, emotional, and social growth. But why is imaginative play so important?

1. Fostering Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills
Imaginative play encourages children to think outside the box. When children engage in pretend play, they create scenarios, characters, and stories that require them to problem-solve, adapt, and find creative solutions. For example, a child pretending to be a doctor might have to figure out how to “treat” a stuffed animal using toy tools, or a child building a castle out of cardboard might encounter challenges with its structure. These moments, though simple, help children develop critical thinking skills that will benefit them in every area of life, from school to personal challenges.

2. Supporting Emotional Development
Imaginative play allows children to explore a wide range of emotions in a safe and controlled environment. By taking on different roles—whether as a parent, teacher, or even an animal—children can process their feelings, express desires, and experiment with scenarios that might otherwise be difficult to navigate in real life. For instance, a child pretending to be a parent may mirror their own experiences at home, learning empathy, understanding responsibility, and gaining a deeper connection to others’ emotions. This kind of role-play helps children develop emotional intelligence, an essential skill for managing their feelings and relating to others throughout their lives.

3. Enhancing Language Skills
One of the most powerful benefits of imaginative play is its effect on language development. When children engage in pretend play, they use language to narrate their stories, communicate with others, and negotiate roles. Whether they’re asking a toy animal to “sit down” or telling a story about their adventures, children practice vocabulary, sentence structures, and storytelling skills. This rich language environment helps build their communication abilities, which are crucial for literacy and academic success. The more children are encouraged to speak, listen, and negotiate during play, the stronger their language skills will become.

4. Building Social Skills
Imaginative play often involves social interaction with peers or adults. Through pretend play, children learn how to cooperate, share, take turns, and resolve conflicts—key elements of social interaction. Playing as a team requires children to understand social roles, respect boundaries, and develop a sense of empathy for others. Whether they’re playing house, having a tea party, or working together to build a fort, they’re learning important lessons in cooperation and collaboration. In group settings, they also learn how to adapt their behavior based on the preferences and ideas of others, building a deeper understanding of the dynamics that shape friendships.

5. Boosting Cognitive Development
Imaginative play plays a critical role in a child’s cognitive development by stimulating their memory, attention, and focus. Many pretend games require children to recall and apply what they’ve learned. For instance, a child pretending to shop at a grocery store might recall the names of items, categorize them, and even calculate costs or prices. These activities engage their memory and help strengthen the brain’s capacity for organization and logical thinking. Imaginative play also fosters abstract thinking—children are not merely reacting to what they see; they are imagining things beyond the present moment, which leads to the development of higher-level cognitive functions.

6. Encouraging Independence and Confidence
When children create their own games and decide how the world they’ve invented will work, they practice decision-making and self-direction. The freedom to explore different scenarios and take on various roles boosts their confidence. As they navigate and shape their imaginative world, they realize their own ability to problem-solve, lead, and express their ideas. This growing sense of autonomy fosters a positive self-image and encourages independence. The more children are given the space to explore through imaginative play, the more they will develop a sense of self and the confidence to navigate real-life situations.

7. Promoting Physical Development
Imaginative play isn’t just about the mind—it also involves the body. Many imaginative activities require children to move, whether they’re pretending to fly like a bird, acting like animals, or running around in an obstacle course. These physical activities improve motor skills, coordination, and balance. Pretend play that incorporates movement also helps children build strength and stamina, laying the foundation for a healthy lifestyle and a love of physical activity.

Imaginative play is much more than just “play.” It’s a fundamental component of childhood development that nurtures creativity, language, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and social skills. By providing children with the time, space, and freedom to engage in imaginative play, we give them the tools they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Encouraging imaginative play isn’t simply a way to entertain kids—it’s an investment in their future, helping them grow into confident, capable, and compassionate individuals. So, the next time you see your child lost in a world of make-believe, know that they’re doing important work—laying the building blocks for the person they’re becoming.

Photos featured in this blog are from our work with Anna & Jack’s Treehouse of Larchmont – if you would like to explore their website, you can find it here!

Picture it…a beautiful quaint town, set in the mountains, with all of the amenities and conveniences located within less than a square mile.  Sound too perfect?  Maybe for adults, but certainly not for the littlest of visitors.  Known as the “capital city of children”, Donovalkovo, located in Donovaly, Slovakia gives the smallest friends freedom and space for creativity.

Creating Magical Moments in the Mountains 

Lilliput Play Homes, based in Finleyille, PA, was contacted by Patty Ski Donovaly, a Slovakian resort town, to help create a magical play village for children among the rolling green mountains of central Slovakia.  With an enthusiastic yes, the work immediately began at Lilliput Play Homes.  Donovalkovo officially opened in July 2017 and has been fulfilling children’s imaginations ever since.  The tiny, big village includes 16 Lilliput playhouses arranged among realistic streets where children can drive cars throughout the town, just like adults!

To make this dream a reality in Donovaly, Lilliput Play Homes worked closely with the owners of Patty Ski to help create this magical destination. The interactive, hands-on, play-based village includes:

• 24-hour Diner
• Police Station
• Fire Station
• Hospital
• Service Station
• Market
• Post Office
• Movie Theater
• Salon
• Bank
• Construction Site
• And much more!

In addition to the playhouses, the paved streets, sidewalks, street signs and beautiful landscaping make this attraction a delightful experience for young and old.  For the 2018 summer season, Lilliput Play Homes has custom-built a train station, surf shack, retro camper, castle with climbing walls and slide, as well as an additional farm.  The shipment will be arriving in the next month, with installation to be completed before the attraction’s summer opening.

The wonderfully dedicated Donovalkovo staff ensures that each playhouse is a different experience.  Children can become a firefighter, policeman, banker, car racer, doctor and many more different professions. The accessories and costumes help to make each play area as realistic as possible.
In addition to being a summer destination of fun, the tiny town welcomes school trips, summer camps and other children’s groups.  For primary school students, they have curriculum-based programs to educate children on values, society, nature, occupations, art and culture, and health and movement.

Create Your Magical Moments with Lilliput Play Homes

For almost 30 years, Lilliput Play Homes, located outside of Pittsburgh, PA, has been bringing children’s imaginations to life with high-quality indoor and outdoor playhouses.  Over the years, many communities, like Donovaly, have discovered the magic that these houses can bring to their smallest of residents. Lilliput Play Homes has long been recognized as the leader in the design and construction of children’s playhouses.  Our skilled craftsmen create each playhouse with pride and expertise, while ensuring a high-quality, durable and safe play area.   At Lilliput Play Homes, we welcome the opportunity to work with you on customizing a tiny, big village that fits your community’s needs, space and budget.  If you can dream it, we can make it happen!  Contact one of our Lilliput Design Specialists today at 724-348-7071 to learn more.

Lilliput Play Homes was built on the belief that children should have a place of their own to grow and discover. Fred Rogers once said, “When we treat children’s play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that’s to be found in the creative spirit. It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.”  At Lilliput Play Homes, we know that imaginative play fosters creativity—we see it every day.

Create, Design and Imagine

One way families can allow their children’s creativity to shine is by encouraging them to be the interior designers of their playhouse.  Giving a child the freedom to choose the artwork (or make it!) or select a cozy bed for their favorite doll lets them make their house their own.

The customization of each Lilliput play home begins at our studio in Finleyville, PA, where our skilled artisans can add special fun features and decorative accessories to appeal to each child’s unique interests.  Whether your little one would enjoy “cooking” up a meal from their very own kitchen, hiding out in a secret room behind a bookcase, lounging on something soft, cruising down a slide from a second-floor landing or keeping a lookout for pirates from a peephole, we can help turn your child’s dreams into reality.

Playhouses created and crafted at Lilliput Play Homes can include design features such as:

• Fireplaces and Mantels
• Bookcases
• Doorbells
• Window Boxes
• Mailboxes
• Custom Kitchens
• Electrical packages

Lilliput also offers a curated selection of furnishings for home decoration such as:

• Arm Chairs
• Salon Chairs
• Vanities
• Diner Booths
• Chaise Lounges
• Antique Stoves
• Dining Table and Chairs

Create Your Magical Moments with Lilliput Play Homes

At Lilliput Play Homes, we welcome the opportunity to launch your child’s imagination into years of memories.   If you can dream it, we can make it happen!  Contact one of our Lilliput Design Specialists today at 724-348-7071 to learn more.

In 1989, unable to find a playhouse special enough for his three-year-old daughter, Alyssa, Steve Chernicky decided to create a beautifully handcrafted playhouse that resembled a Victorian mansion.  Thus, the magic of Lilliput Play Homes was born.

Flash forward to July, 30, 2016, and Alyssa, now grown, was set to marry the man of her dreams.  While Alyssa and her mother worked on all the wedding details, her dad wanted to add his personal touch, and to, once again, do something special for his little girl.  Recognizing that his daughter was the inspiration of his life work, Steve decided to create for her and her new husband a unique gift built out of love.

Thus, as the wedding dinner and celebration were being held in the Grand Ballroom of Pittsburgh’s historic Omni William Penn Hotel, unbeknownst to the newlyweds and guests, Steve’s custom-designed Sweet Shoppe was being assembled by Lilliput Play Home installers in the adjoining famed Urban Room.  After dinner, toasts, dancing and a confetti drop, the band invited all of the wedding guests to pass into the neighboring room for a surprise. There, under glowing spotlights, sat Steve’s creation! Alyssa, Rodger and their guests were treated to an array of classic cookies, chocolates, tartlets, mini parfaits, and cotton candy all displayed in a spectacular hand-crafted structure, lovingly designed by Alyssa’s father and  aptly named “Alyssa’s and Rodger’s Sweet Shoppe.”

The Sweet Shoppe which bore the couple’s monogram, provided an inviting sidewalk- cafe entrance, flanked by lighted lamp posts and bursting flower boxes which were set atop intricately carved faux ornamental iron railings.  Exquisitely crafted arched shelves provided a lovely display for all the specialty sweets.  The Sweet Shoppe later became the model and inspiration for Lilliput Play Homes, Main Street Bistro.

Lilliput Play Homes Built with Love

For almost 30 years, Lilliput Play Homes, based in Finleyville, PA, has been providing unforgettable magical moments to families around the world with high-quality, expertly crafted indoor and outdoor playhouses.   What started as one man’s mission to create an enchanting world of imagination for his little daughter has turned into a booming business of international proportions.  As Steve was proud to honor his daughter on her wedding day, Lilliput Play Homes, is proud of the many memories it helps to create for families and is honored to help others celebrate the joy of family!

At Lilliput Play Homes, we can create a playhouse to help you celebrate your family or the start of your new business.  Our skilled craftsmen create each playhouse with pride and expertise, while ensuring a high-quality, durable and safe play area for all ages.  We welcome the opportunity to work with you on customizing an enchanting space for your family, workplace or community.  If you can dream it, we can make it happen!  Contact one of our Lilliput Design Specialists today at 724-348-7071 to learn more.