A treehouse is one of the most nostalgic memories from childhood. It was our escape, a magical land and a destination that offered endless hours of entertainment and fun. Still today with the ever growing obsession of TVs and video games amongst children, the treehouse has never gone out of fashion and is still a magical place for play. Your children may spend more time indoors in front of the TV, then in the fresh air, even though you have tried everything to get them outdoors.
One way to really tempt them to go back to the basics and enjoy the outdoors is to build a treehouse in your backyard or garden. Not only will they have a reason to explore the outdoors, but you can enjoy some quality time with your children and build a treehouse together.
In this article we provide the basics to build a simple treehouse for your kids.
How To Build A Treehouse for Kids
Choosing a tree
Your first step in building a treehouse is choosing the tree in which it will be built in. Obviously the tree needs to be sturdy and provide enough space for a treehouse. You don’t want to build your treehouse in a very high tree as this could be hazardous for kids. A good height is about 10 feet from the ground. You also want to look for a tree that has V-shaped horizontal branches, because these will be the supports for your floor.
Planning and designing your treehouse
Grab a sketch book and put your conceptual ideas for your treehouse on paper. Think about its practical planning, design and dimensions. Gather all of the materials that you will need including the wood and tools. Make sure all of your dimensions and measurements are right before you start building the actual treehouse.
How do you build a simple treehouse for your kids
Ok, so now we get to the actual planning on how to build a simple, but still fun treehouse for your kids.
- Construct a deck by connecting the perimeter of the trees with the foundation, using large bolts at every joint to fasten the timbers together.
- Frame the walls to the desired height wanted. Do this by positioning the walls on the deck and foundation and attaching them to the deck below using pressure treated nails.
- Build the roof of your treehouse by attaching a ridge beam across the entire length of the roof. Lastly, cover the roof structure with pressure treated materials.
The finishing touches
This is the last phase of venture to build a simple treehouse for your kids to enjoy, and also the phase where they can really get involved in decorating it. Let their creative juices flow as they choose the treehouse’s colours and get involved with painting it.
Jemma Scott is a freelance writer that enjoys writing about an array of topics. Her inspiration for this article came from her husband building a treehouse for their children armed in scruffs workwear.
