Brand new children's playhouses up for grabs

Three castle-themed children's playhouses up for grabs to local early childcare centres. Photo/Supplied

Three castle-themed children's playhouses are up for grabs for local early childcare
centres thanks to the New Zealand Certified Builders Rotorua.

The trade association has three castle-themed children's playhouses to
give away, and invites local play centres, Kōhanga Reo, kindergartens, crèches and other early childcare groups to register their interest in receiving one.

As well as donating the playhouses, NZCB member builders will deliver and install them for the lucky recipients.

A fourth playhouse is already being donated to Sunset Primary School and will be delivered on Friday by local apprentices. The school has organised a kings and queens dress up day for the children to celebrate its arrival.

The playhouses are safe, durable, 1.5-metre structures that include a turret and
drawbridge, providing a platform for imaginative and adventurous play.

They were hand-crafted by some of the Bay of Plenty's most talented building apprentices during the regional heats of the annual NZCB Apprentice Challenge, which ran nationwide on April 21 with 96 apprentices from across the country competing.

The apprentice who won the Bay of Plenty competition was Tauranga's Cameron Diack.

He will be vying for the national title at the NZCB Apprentice Challenge Final, which is being held at the NZCB Annual Conference in Rotorua this week.

The conference marks NZCB's 20th year, and has attracted record attendance of over 700 builders from around the country. A highlight of the conference is a fun event that involves the Apprentice Challenge finalists each building and racing carts they have constructed during the day, in a 'Great Apprentice Race'.

Any local early childcare providers who are interested in receiving a playhouse can contact Nick Matthews at nick@nzcb.nz or 021 906 483. Playhouses will be donated on a first in first served basis.