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Photo: Kids Crooked Houses

As the drama of Jon & Kate and their posse of eight lives on, the national obsession with their marital woes continues to boom. Case in point: Google's top search term this morning -- Kids Crooked Houses. For those of you who didn't catch last night's big announcement episode (the one in which Jon & Kate divulged that -- surprise! -- they're divorcing), the other big news was the installation of backyard playhouses for the kids. True to form, Jon and Kate feuded over where said playhouses should be placed.

Can't lie: These playhouses are far more fascinating than divorce papers and family feuds and here's why.

Built in Maine, Kids Crooked Playhouses originated from the concept that kids should be outdoors, running around and, well, being kids! The founder, a dad named Glen, plotted to lure his kids outdoors with a playhouse. The only problem was that all of those on the market were nothing short of boring.

Disappointed and frustrated, Glen and his cousin Jeff decided to use the very TV cartoons their children loved so dearly as inspiration to build their own playhouses.

"They liked the cartoon shows featuring houses with wonky lines, skewed angles and off-kilter windows...houses where everything is just a little bit funky, sort of off, and, well, crooked." Just like that, these fantastic kid houses were born. (Can we get a time machine to zap us back to childhood? Please?)

Already, these wonderful and wonky houses are popping up everywhere -- and we mean everywhere. What started in Maine has reached as far away as Kenya and Pakistan. Talk about shipping fees.

But hey, who can blame them? The houses are all handcrafted, hand-painted and frankly, a childhood dream. What kid's imagination wouldn't fully let loose in one of these? That is, of course, if mom and dad are willing to shell out the cash (to be clear, Kate & Jon did not foot the bill for theirs). We can't say these playhouses are cheap, in fact the least expensive one comes in at $1249. But handcrafted work, be it for kids or grown-ups, tends to cost a pretty penny. Would you buy one? Comment below!

Take a look through some of the coolest Kids Crooked Houses out there.

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  • Judy Sarach

    I love them I have 7 grand children that would adore them :) I loved the caring way they delivered them and interacted with the kds. Looks like a great company!

    Reply
  • Al

    Seems like a problem to me that you are presenting this story as though the Gosslin's paid for the four little houses - they did not and said so during the show. Please take care to not assume such things and not present the story accurately.

  • joleea3

    I also adore them. I would buy them for my grandkids if I had the money to spare. It doesn't make up for what the kids are going to have to face later on. Mom and Dad not being together. I feel sorry about this but not surprised. Jon didn't act like he was even into the show to much anyway.

  • Amanda

    Hey Al...if you would have read the article, it does state that Jon and Kate did not "foot the bill"...pay a little bit of attention to details, thank you.

  • Pattie

    these are cute houses, Daniel's Woodlands makes these in tree houses and has been doing it for a few years now. Wish I had the money to finance an entire village of all these for my kids. Can I be a kid again also???

    Reply
  • debrawonder

    I'd love the builder to do a makeover on my house!

    Reply
  • maria

    It makes sense that they have enough money to get the kids those crooked houses. They live in a 1.1 million dollar house and get paid 100k plus more an episode but you never know it could be another free gift like kate's surgery or kate and jon's teeth whitening.

    Reply
  • Pam

    Why not actually read the article before commenting. If you had you would have read where it specifically noted that Kate and Jon did NOT foot the bill for the crooked houses.

  • nessiia

    even though they are pricey, you gotta admit they look adorable!

    Reply
  • cindi

    Al You need to read the story....willing to shell out the cash (to be clear, Kate & Jon did not foot the bill for theirs). They tell you right there that they did NOT pay for them.

    Reply
  • batchesm

    They are cute playhouses - I would like to see my kid's faces if a NFI truck pulled up on my street and delivered them!

    Reply
  • Sofia

    They are just adorable! But they are so expensive. I would ont pay to get one for my kids. But, they are just so cute!!!

    Reply
  • Sharleen

    It must be nice to get everything free when there are thousands of children who go to bed hungry everynight.

    Reply
  • Elaine

    I totally agree with your comment. I wonder if these free gifts and the money they made from the show is worth their marriage and how being on TV will effect their children down the road. Donating some of their earnings to other less fortunate families would have been nice. Instead, greed and their egos are all they are concerned with. Very disappointing.

  • Carolyn Anderson

    My sentiments exactly. And while they are adorable, this is the type of article I would expect at FAO Schwartz - and would leave the ordinary child feeling deprived because mom and dad have to put food on the table first and a roof over the family's head. Jon and Kate are not living in reality at this point anymore, but in a fantasy world where the program pays for everything. I don't enjoy the show anymore

  • Krissa

    TLC paid for the houses,why do you think Kate picks out expensive things? in their contract it states "if its used on the show,TLC will pay for it" its advertisement for the company who builds them,so TLC pays.

    Reply
  • Sandra Ann Adams

    The crooked houses were adorable and I know my kid's would love them. The price is crazy. I don't think the average person could afford to buy one of these houses. Getting all the free things they get for doing their show must be nice. NOt that I'm saying if I had the chance to get stuff free I wouldn't. I bet after people seeing these houses on t.v. they will help them sell.

    Reply
  • Dawn

    I love the houses. I just wish the doors opened out to give the kids more room.

    Reply
  • kraff

    I'm so glad you pointed that out, I just submitted a comment about the same issue but it didn't post. All through the show it really bothered me. Not only is it a waste of what appears to be very limited space, it's a safety issue, whoever is standing behind the door is going to get whapped

  • Gaye

    I am SOOO sick of this family and their whining and getting all the freebies. They fail to remember why they did this all in the first place, it was for the KIDS. And, now the KIDS are suffering because they are not mature enough to stick it out and work to salvage their marriage.

    Reply

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