26 Treehouse Ideas Your Kids Will Love
These actually enhance your backyard.
There's nothing more magical to a child than a treehouse. We see great treehouse ideas in movies all the time, so why not turn your little one's fantasy into a dream come true? These days, it seems like kids are always indoors playing video games and watching TV, so building them a treehouse straight out of a storybook is the perfect way to get them outdoors and into the sunshine. Let them embrace their childhood! But the best part is that you, too, can pretend to be a little kid again. Whether you hire a contractor to build a treehouse or the whole family takes it on as a DIY project, you truly can't go wrong. You can even do a mixture of both—hire a professional to do all of the heavy lifting while you and your family paint and decorate your treehouse.
With so many amazing treehouse ideas and designs out there to choose from, the most difficult part might getting the whole family to agree on their favorite one. From rope swings to hideaways, string lights, ziplines, ladders, and more, there are tons of fun options to incorporate into your treehouse. Just imagine how much fun your little ones will have once it's all done—reading and playing outside in their dreamy treehouse. We can't think of anything more wholesome! Not sure where to begin? We've got you covered. Continue below to get a look at 26 treehouse ideas we know you and your kids will love.
Add a Swing
This treehouse from Hollander Design looks nice enough to live in full-time. It also comes complete with a curly slide and a simple swing.
Fill It With Cushions
Keep things small and simple. This cute treehouse features a pretty pop of minty green paint on the interior. A few striped floor pillows make it a comfy clubhouse.
Stay on the Ground
Who says a treehouse has to be on stilts? On this upstate New York property, designer Anthony Baratta embraced the summer camp atmosphere and created a little log cabin hideout among the trees.
Hang a Tire Swing
Keep it classic (and scrappy) with a rope swing! You can also add monkey bars if you're feeling ambitious.
Build Bunks Inside
This little oasis tucked into the trees and designed by Jill Morris is an ideal guest room or daytime hideout for kids.
Add on a Porch
An exterior view of this dreamy one-room guesthouse designed by Jill Morris proves that a wraparound porch isn't just for the main house.
Build a Gazebo Treehouse
Build an elevated gazebo instead of a treehouse. That way, it'll look elevated enough for you to enjoy after your kids outgrow it.
Give It Fairytale Flair
With its faux half-timbering, arched doorway, and brightly colored roof, this treehouse cottage looks like something straight out of a Disney movie, so it's sure to spark their imagination.
Get a Treehouse Bed
If you think nothing can get your kid excited for bedtime, think again. This dreamy kid's room designed by Studio Life/Style proves that you don't need a backyard to have an epic treehouse. This treehouse bed from Pottery Barn Kids makes it easy to build your own.
Hang String Lights
Hanging string lights overhead will make your treehouse feel even more otherworldly and magical to little ones and grownups alike.
Connect Two Treehouses
The only thing better than having one treehouse in your backyard is having two treehouses in your backyard that are connected by a suspension bridge. We love the castle-like crenelated walls, arrowslit windows, and flagpole on this one—not to mention that awesome climbing net.
Build a Castle Treehouse
This treehouse in a backyard designed by Emily Henderson takes things up a notch. Instead of going with a basic treehouse design, she made it look like a castle—complete with a drawbridge-like entrance.
Consider the View
Placement is everything. This modern treehouse got the prime real estate overlooking a vineyard. The adjacent swing ensures the supervising adults get to relax and enjoy it too.
Put It by a Pool
This play structure in a backyard by Studio Life/Style isn't a treehouse by definition, but it's just as fun thanks to the adjacent pool and waterslide. Plus, it's on stilts, so it has the same elevated effect you'd get from a classic treehouse.
Go Low
Don't want to build a treehouse in the actual trees? Mimic the look with a wooden hut on low stilts. This one designed by Commune is an idyllic escape. Its interior features a built-in loveseat, plenty of cushions, and mesmerizing stained glass windows.
Pick a Prefab Treehouse
They'll feel like they're up in the trees—without you worrying about them falling out of the tree—if you opt for a prefab play structure like this one.
Stick to a Simple Treehouse
It's not fancy, but a treetop platform like this one gets the job done without you breaking every bone in your body trying to build it.
Get the tutorial at Capturing Joy.
Install a Zip Line
Your kiddos can feel like Tarzan swinging through the trees! They'll love coming down for dinner if it's actually fun to do it.
Learn more at Barbara Butler.
Use a Treehouse Guided Building Plan
Not sure how to build a treehouse? Choose from a series of guides and plans to make the whole process easier. Here are some great options.
Try a Split-Level Treehouse
This two-tier treehouse has double the fun potential. Even adults will be tempted to climb that rock wall and see the view from the top.
Get the tutorial at Be A Fun Mum.
Hadley Mendelsohn is the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House. When she's not busy writing about interiors, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, researching ghost stories, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again. Along with interior design, she writes about everything from travel to entertainment, beauty, social issues, relationships, fashion, food, and on very special occasions, witches, ghosts, and other Halloween haunts. Her work has also been published in MyDomaine, Who What Wear, Man Repeller, Matches Fashion, Byrdie, and more.
Taylor Augustin is a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle writer with 6+ years of experience testing and reviewing products. Her work can be found in Teen Vogue, Popsugar, Byrdie, Cosmo, and more. When she’s not typing away, you can find her perusing the aisles at Sephora, going to pilates, and reading the latest psychological thrillers on her Kindle. Connect with Taylor on Instagram.
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