Sara's Playhouse

The inspiration for Ms. Sara's Playhouse was the side affect of an extreme tragedy. Ms. Sara was the director of my daughter and son's preschool, Washington Park Early Learning Center in Denver, Colorado. Midway through the 2016/17 school year, Ms. Sara was diagnosed with an advanced form of cancer that had already spread throughout her body. She passed away in a matter of months, but on her death bed she exclaimed that one of her dreams was to have an actual house built for the kids on the playground. That inspired me to start researching playhouses that would be the perfect fit for such a special place. I found the perfect design and plans on WoodManor Playhouses.

Seeing the school is a non-profit COOP, I looked for a means to fund the project using community support. I submitted a proposal to the local Home Depot, located in Glendale, Colorado, where the kind General Manager, Jason Culpepper, helped by getting the entire project funded with a single donation.

Construction started in August 2017 and wrapped up in August 2018. During that time, the kids of WPELC were able to watch the building process, from foundation, to framing, to finish, to paint. Throughout that time I was able to see first hand the enjoyment the kids experienced with the house. There would be small chairs on the decking, chalk on the walls, logs and sand on the floor. My construction days, usually spent on random weekends, would always start with a clean-up exercise, where I would have to spend 10-20 minutes clearing out all the prior week's kid creations.

This house was made into a home in August of 2018, when the final details were added - the sign and the street number. It really brings me joy to know that this home is the realization of one special person's dream. This home is a true gift to all the current and future kids of WPELC.

Thanks again to Jason Culpepper, Home Depot, and the countless WPELC parents who volunteered to assist in the construction of this home.

Project Photo Album

Here is the source Google Photo Album for this project.

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