You may not even know it yet but building your child, a treehouse will supply them with years of fun right in your backyard. If you’re handy with a hammer and are looking for some inspiration, keep reading for 18 creative kids’ tree house ideas!
Make It Toddler-Friendly
It’s all there in the name, treehouse. A house in a tree. But, these treetop play areas aren’t the most ideal or safest of places for young children who can barely put one foot in front of the other. Instead of building your kiddos’ new play place way up high, opt for a low-down playhouse and treehouse hybrid.
Two Story Tree House
Now, we aren’t saying it’s a competition, but… if you want your kids to be the coolest on the block, add a second story. The second story doesn’t even need to be inside the tree house. If you have a suitable tree, you could go down the route of building a platform balcony area lower down the tree and adding steps up to the main house.
Simple Tree House
Who said treehouses have to be complex and tones of work? Sometimes, even the most simple treehouse can provide your kids and the neighborhood kids with years upon years of fun. If the thought of not being able to see what your kids are doing worries you, then you don’t even need to build walls! A simple platform with a roof and railings will work out just fine.
Playframe Meets Treehouse
A fantastic way to level up a simple treehouse is to connect it to a playframe. You don’t even need to go all out. A swing, slide, or rock climbing wall will give the treehouse an added touch that all kids will love.
Custom Tree Forts
Although during the building process, kids are rendered useless, why not get them involved in the decoration portion of the build. Hand-painted signs are an excellent way for them to make their treehouse their own. So grab some scrap pieces of wood, hand them a paintbrush, and let their imaginations run wild.
Recycled Pallet Wood Tree House
One of the most environmentally friendly ways to build a treehouse is using recycled pallet wood. Pallet wood is fairly easy to get your hands on, and some places may even give it to you for free. It might take a few months to collect enough to build your tree house, but patience is a virtue.
Perfect for Lounging
Although we usually build tree houses for kids, who’s to say that you can’t add an element that works in an adult’s favor too. Depending on how high you build, you can add a hammock, which is suitable for both adults and children to either the side or underside of the treehouse.
Double Up
If you have the backyard space and enough strong and suitable trees for a tree house, connect the two with a rope suspension bridge. After all, the only thing better than one tree house is two.
Add Cushions
As your kids will be using the treehouse for playing purposes, it’s best to keep the interior simple. Floor cushions act as a comfortable and cute seating area where your kids can read books or chat with their friends.
Build a Porch
A porch is an ultimate lookout for pirates, princesses, and bad guys. You can choose to wrap a porch around the entire tree house or just outside the front door. The choice is up to you, but this additional space really makes a difference.
Paint, Paint, and More Paint
Adding a splash of paint can transform your treehouse into a whimsical getaway up in the trees. Of course, the design will ultimately come down to your kids and their personal preferences, but you can even get them involved and make it a family activity!
Little Details
Sometimes even the smallest details can make the biggest difference. Enhance your treehouse space by adding finishing touches such as fairy lights, bunting, or lanterns. It’s a great way to add some color and personality without making anything too complicated.
A Treehouse Doesn’t Have to Look Like a House
Just because it has “house” in its name doesn’t mean it has to look like one. Get creative and turn your treehouse into something completely different. A pirate ship for the kid that loves pirates, a castle for girls who dream of being a princess, or even a rocket ship for all the future astronauts out there.
Consider Its Placement
If you’re lucky enough to live on a large property with incredible views, then position your kids treehouse in a way so they have some prime real estate overlooking said views.
Put It On Stilts
If you don’t have any suitable trees to hold a treehouse, you can always build it on stilts. Stilt treehouses are more practical and easier to customize in some ways. For example, the structure underneath the house is ideal for attaching features like a rock wall or a slide.
Tarzan Who?
You’ll need adequate space for this one. And you should only include it if your kids are sensible and can be trusted. But it doesn’t get much cooler than having your own zip line.
Make it a Gazebo
Treehouses are great, as long as kids are little. However, fast forward a few years, and the treetop play area you spent days, weeks, or even months making could be left to rot as the kids have moved on to more age-appropriate activities. To eliminate all your hard work eventually going to waste, make a treetop gazebo instead. Both adults and kids can enjoy a gazebo, so you’ll have peace of mind knowing your blood, sweat, and tears weren’t for nothing. Kit it out with benches and a table so your children can use it even into adulthood.
Skip the Stairs and Add a Cargo Net
Add a cargo net instead of stairs to make the kid’s treehouse more adventurous. Or, if the treehouse is large enough, add both!
Final Thoughts on What Makes a Great Kids Treehouse
Treehouses are fun for kids of all ages. And we hope that some of these ideas have inspired you with your treehouse build. So, as we wrap up this article, we’re intrigued to know if you have ever built a treehouse? If so, which route did you go down, and what does it feature? Let us know in the comment section down below!
