Treehouse Ideas

Both old and young can enjoy a treehouse.

Treehouse ideas don't always come to fruition exactly as your mind imagines them. The major factors that influence the outcome of a treehouse include design, materials, safety and building. Design is the idea factory for building the treehouse, while budget determines what materials can be used. Safety should be of utmost concern while building the treehouse. The sky may be the limit when envisioning the treehouse in your mind, but the reality of the process involves coming down to earth and building something, practical, safe, fun and affordable.

Design

Take out a piece of paper and a pencil to sketch your treehouse masterpiece. Draw it, regardless of financial and geographical restrictions. Over-embellishing the structure on paper will help bring it into physical form. Half the fun of building the treehouse starts in the imagination. Enjoy the journey while drawing it out on paper. A floor, a roof, walls, doors and windows are some of the traditional treehouse design ideas, but take it a step further and add a rope ladder, a rope swing, a lookout tower and a slide. Draw with pencil, and then use colored pencils to determine paint colors. Determine if you will build the treehouse in the tree or if it will be freestanding. Individualize the design to the age, sex and individual interests of the children.

Materials

Think of the budget set aside for the treehouse, and then take a stroll through your local home improvement store to get some ideas of the cost of materials. You might be able to scrounge up some materials laying around the yard or from a large trash receptacle. Visit yard sales to find bargains on items that can be included in the construction and furnishing of the treehouse. Visit discount surplus and bargain stores to find items that match the paper design of the treehouse. Use the paper blueprint to guide you through the wonderful task of treasure hunting.

Safety

Always use materials that are safe for child use. These should be free of lead-based paint and splinters. Don't ever go cheap on the amount of money spent on making the treehouse secure. Nothing ruins a day of play faster than a boo boo or an owie. Keep the treehouse as low to the ground as possible. The kids might complain at first, but they'll soon forget the height when lost in their imaginations at play. Install a railing around the treehouse with vertical or horizontal slats. Keep all bolts, nails and screws well embedded in the building materials. Cover any sharp edges with foam.

Building

Include the children in as much of the building process as possible. Remember that you're raising kids, not treehouses. Make the event a special one that involves spending quality time with the ones you love. Take the time to teach your kids how to use tools safely. Ask lots of questions to help them develop problem-solving skills. Try to implement their ideas as much as possible and help them understand why some ideas might not be the best. Set some goals to work on the treehouse every day, and then plan a big treehouse-warming celebration when the structure is finished.

References

• University of Colorado Denver; Growing Up Boulder; Joe Rogers; September 2009