Build a Treehouse This Summer

A Treehouse Makes Memories Over the Years

Some of the best memories children have been made in their treehouse. A treehouse is a great getaway for teens, a place for young kids to use their imaginations, and bond with their friends. A treehouse can also promote sustainable living, encourage kids to get off screens, and help foster imagination and creativity by themselves or with friends.

Designing a treehouse can be a family project, including your kids in the process of planning and building helps build memories and family relationships. We are going to expand your thoughts around what a treehouse can be. We’ve seen platforms with tents to elaborate structures that could be a home office, meditation room, or guest area once your kids are grown.

Environmental Benefits

• Maintain Biodiversity: Building a treehouse can help maintain local biodiversity by preserving the forest floor and also the forest canopy.
• Helps Preserve Trees: Building a treehouse minimizes the impact on the trees they are built around, supporting their natural roles in climate regulation and carbon absorption.
• Promotes Eco-Friendly Construction: Treehouses are built with minimal ground disturbance compared to a foundation, help preserve topsoil, and reduce water runoff.

Children’s Personal & Social Benefits

• Increased Outdoor Time: A treehouse encourages your children to play outdoors, can minimize screen time, while promoting physical activity.
• Grounding & Connection to Nature: A treehouse can create a deeper appreciation for nature and the environment.
• Fosters Creativity & Imagination: A treehouse gives a child a space of their own to play, dream, and foster their creativity and imagination.
• Promotes Learning & Skill Development: Building a treehouse can foster teamwork, skill building, problem-solving, and understanding risk management.
• Memories, Adventure & Friendships: A treehouse creates a sense of adventure and can be a place where kids feel a sense of adventure, build friendships, and make memories that last a lifetime.

More Treehouse Benefits

• Treehouses Can Be Unique & Fun: A treehouse is a wonderful alternative to traditional play spaces for kids and can be built to fit individual needs, age, and preferences.
• Increased Property Value: A well-built treehouse can add value to your property, add appeal, and can attract buyers who appreciate unique and outdoor-focused features.
• Income Potential: Depending on how you build your treehouse it can be used for a vacation rental and other activities once your children are grown.

Basic Treehouse Building Tips

There are books written about building treehouses, so for space considerations, we will mention the most important factors in building a treehouse. To make sure your treehouse stands the test of time, there are some simple considerations to take into account when building a treehouse.

• Choosing the right tree is very important. A tree should not be too young, it can’t withstand the weight, nor too old for the same reason, and for longevity.
• The best treehouse trees are apple, maple, oak, and fir, bay trees can also work.
• Look for strong, sturdy branches and trunks, a tree with no disease, and deep, well-established roots.
• Check with your planning department and neighbors, since treehouses can usually be seen by neighbors unless you live way out in the country.
• For an 8′ by 8′ treehouse, you would want a tree to be at least 12′ feet in diameter. An easy way to determine the diameter is to tie a string around the tree, measure it, and divide by 3.14 to get the diameter.
• Choose your design or design it yourself, having input from your kids is good so the finished treehouse is one they have helped design.
• Decide on your support method; post, bolt, or suspension, each has its advantages.
• Decide on the access method: rope ladder, standard ladder, or staircase.
• Decide on what to do with branches that interfere with the treehouse design; incorporate them into the design or cut them off.
• Keep the ages of your children in mind when deciding on the height of the treehouse. Remember to include railing on both the deck and any staircase. We have found that pig wire is functional and blends well with nature.

Treehouse Styles

We want to inspire your DIY building skills and creativity with what is possible with treehouse designs. We have seen treehouses that are a platform with a ramp to elegant treehouses that could double as a guest house. We’ve also seen a treehouse built with posts when no suitable tree was available, there are so many options.

Some popular styles include playful, kid-friendly designs with climbing features and slides to more sophisticated designs with sustainable materials and modern design features. We suggest if you want options for the treehouse in the future, to rough in plumbing and electricity so you have options in the future of your structure being more than a treehouse. Treehouse designs to consider:

Kid-Friendly Designs:

Designs for Play:

You may want to build a treehouse with climbing walls, ropes, slides, and swings that encourage active play and adventure for your children.

Themed Treehouses:

You might want to incorporate your children’s favorite movie or book characters in their treehouse. People have built treehouses that look like castles, pirate ships, and fairy tale characters.

Make a Mystery:

Create a treehouse with intrigue, incorporating secret rooms, tunnels, hidden treasure, or hidden platforms that help spark your child’s imagination, provide a sense of wonder, and privacy.

Treehouse Design Types

• Minimalist: Think simple, natural materials, a seamless integration with nature. This could be a platform with a tent or a simple four-walled structure.
• Modern: Think of sleek lines, glass walls, a contemporary look, maybe even a geodesic dome on a platform.
• Sustainable: Using eco-friendly materials like reclaimed wood, bamboo, or recycled materials to create your children’s treehouse.
• Connected Treehouses: Two or more treehouses can be linked with a suspension bridge if you have adequate trees and space for more than one treehouse.
• Treehouse Cottages: This type of treehouse offers amenities such as running water and electricity. Think decks, a possible bathroom, refrigerator, and simple cooking facilities.

We enjoy seeing the treehouse designs people build for their children. Be sure to check out our treehouse windows that are sized especially for smaller structures. Have fun this summer building memories with your children or grandchildren, building the treehouse of their dreams.