OPERATION PLAYHOUSE

Whether you join one of our Build-A-Thons, or build a playhouse at your own site, it is a rewarding and unique experience. Please call or email Deborah Huegel at Deborah.Huegel@habitatmwgw.org or 508-799-9259 x 118 for more information, and see below for more details. Thank you for your interest!

Operation Playhouse is a unique program that benefits local veterans and military families and their children. The playhouses provide a special place for family members to bond, play, dream, and think. It is a “home” of their own.

We are proud to give back to our veterans and military families who give so much to our communities and country. We are one of just a handful across the U.S. to provide the program, the day-long activity is popular and in demand with our sponsors and partners.

You can build a playhouse with your team at different venues. Playhouses can be built on your own site, space permitting, or we can help find you one. See more details below. Or, you can join our Build-A-Thons held in June in MetroWest and Greater Worcester.

How Does It Work? Your team of 8 – 10 will work together to construct and decorate colorful and themed children’s playhouses, which are then donated to the veteran family at the end of the day. Read what one recipient had to say after receiving a playhouse for their grandchild.

Where and When can I take part in Operation Playhouse? There are many options for your team to take part in building a playhouse to benefit the family of a veteran! We build outdoors from mid-April to mid-October (weather dependent), and indoors the rest of the year.

Weather permitting, we build outdoors and can come to your site, space permitting. If it rains, or the weather is too cold for paint to dry, we look for indoor space, or the partner provides the indoor space.

1. The playhouse can be built right at your own site, indoors or outdoors, if the space is big enough and appropriate. (We need at least a 30’ x 40’ space for each playhouse to lay down tarps). The finished playhouses are approximately 4 1/5 feet width x 5 1/5 feet long x 5 feet tall.
2. Or, you can find your own space, off-site, at which you’d like to build the playhouse. Our Operation Playhouse Manager will make an appointment to check out the site beforehand.
3. Another option is to join one of our Operation Playhouse Build-A-Thons that we hold in MetroWest and Greater Worcester.

Who Builds the Playhouses? Teams of 8 – 10 people can build playhouses: corporations, faith groups, community organizations, and groups of friends.

What happens before the Operation Playhouse event? Before your Operation Playhouse event, our Operation Playhouse Coordinator will contact the parents of the child who is scheduled to receive a playhouse. The interests of the child are determined, and a theme for the playhouse is chosen. Playhouse themes include: American Flag/Patriotic, Barnyard, Castle, Cozy Cottage (Pastel Colors), Firehouse, and Log Cabin. The themes are then passed along to each partner who is building the playhouse so they can be prepared for their day. Decorations or add-ons for the playhouse are optional, and some teams choose to purchase them.

The day of your event: On the day of your playhouse event, your team will gather at a pre-selected site from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. You will build the playhouse from a kit, paint, and decorate the playhouse according to your theme. At about 3:00 PM, the veteran family arrives at the site to receive the playhouse. The child is surprised and delighted, and it is a touching, personal, and heartwarming conclusion to the day. Your team will meet the family, spend time with them, and learn about the veteran’s or service.

Do I need experience? No experience is necessary! The playhouses are built from a kit. While you will be using some tools for simple construction tasks, we have experienced staff and volunteers on-site all day to help you every step of the way. There is plenty of time during the day to build the playhouse, paint and decorate it before the family arrives.

What we provide: We provide all tools, paints, and a table on which to store the items. We also provide staff and volunteers to help you during the day.

What do you contribute? Our partners contribute a tax-deductible donation of $3,000 for each playhouse built to cover the cost of materials, our staff time, and to further our efforts to expand Operation Playhouse to give back to more local veterans and military families who have served our country. Many of our partners choose to purchase decorations to go along with the theme of their playhouse, based on the interests of the children. This is optional.

To view the Operation Playhouse brochure, click here.