It can sometimes be even more difficult and frustrating to keep children away from devices and social media these days.
There is no better way than to build an amazing, fun, and enticing treehouse right in your backyard to promote outdoor play!
The good news is that this isn’t nearly as difficult as you think and can be designed to be a weekend DIY project depending on what option you choose.
Anticipate: Here is a list of some of the best types of treehouse idea and images you can build in your backyard that the kids will love.
1. Playhouse Treehouse for Kids
If you have young children, you’re not going to want them utilizing a fort in the upper levels of a tree, that’s far off the ground.
Fortunately, it is possible to consider a basic lower tree fort option to keep toddlers engaged and entertained for hours.
Instead of constructing your tree fort up in a tree, you can make it around the base of the tree, complete with curtains, flower boxes, and even a performance stage.
Let your child bring along some of their favorite toys, stuffed animals, coloring books, and whatever else they want outside with them, providing them lot’s of ways to explore and have fun all day.
2. A Plank-Walking Pirate Ship Treehouse
Who wouldn’t like their very own pirate play ship?
This is one make-believe play scenario many of us loved as children and will likely continue to be a favorite for children long into the future.
Making a faux pirate ship treefort in your backyard doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds, (unless you want it to.)
A simple plywood pirate ship placed into a tree and a pirate’s flag or sign, anchor, and an old sheet as a sail is really enough to help conjure the make-believe adventure.
3. Simple Platform Treehouse With No Sides
Not everyone has had experience with power tools, and I don’t think that is important.
You can still create a playful experience with some precut plywood, some screws, and a few other tools that you could figure out how to use.
It does not have to be extravagant to provide a child a treehouse experience. About all you need is a flat platform and slide attached to a large, strong tree, a few swings, and some creative juices.
4. Home Away From Home Treehouse
Whether you have the skills of a master carpenter or you dream of hiring a professional to help you, a full tree house with stairs, space, and even a hidden entrance will definitely capture the interest of the family.
If you want to take your backyard tree house to the next level, consider placing the tree house in between two trees, nickname it “the fort,” and create an extra room or two, and add a window, secret entrance doors, and add some home decor.
5. An Enchanting Castle Treehouse
Kids can be a King and/or Queen in their very own castle! Why not build them a tree house to create lasting memories!?
No fear, have fun with the design – make a moat, the whole works, bridge, and even a simple “castle gate”. It can be as easy as pulling on a rope, and it goes up and down!
With a bit of creativity, you could always draw a dragon on the side of the fort and have walls of “weapons” complete with shields, fake swords, and even a “catapult” in the window!
6. DIY Nature Made Treehouse
Who ever told you that you need to go out and buy an entire stack of supplies to create a fun fort in the backyard?
You can put together a quick and easy DIY fort design with broken branches, sticks and stones.
First build a base of plywood for the platform to secure to your treehouse. Then use branches and sticks to secure the walls and sides together.
Pamper up the design and glue rocks and pebbles to the ground and attach wooden steps to the tree to climb to the fort from below.
7. Hide Away Treehouse (Go Incognito)
It’s wonderful to have something like a fort out in the open for play, especially with younger kids.
For our older tree house adventurers, a hideaway fort tucked back into the woods can provide a fun retreat if you have the yard.
This type of treehouse, hideaway, or fort can also be simple and provide some patient, quiet time away, and I recommend some bean bags, pillows, and books or a drawing pad in any fort.
8. Ninja Worrier Training Treehouse
Most children love to climb, especially trees during summer when they are outside enjoying the nice weather.
Incorporating this into your treehouse is an easy way to give your child the best of both worlds.
For example, you can built a ninja worrier tree fort by adding a rock wall to the side of the house.
You can also hang big climbing ropes to the base, a balance rope that goes from one tree to another, or some monkey bars.
9. Pallet Treehouse (A Quick and Simple Option)
Think about repurposing some old pallets as yet another inexpensive option for building a cool treehouse in no time.
Be sure to collect durable, sturdy, and safe pallets, then assemble them around the base of the tree.
Allow your kids to be part of the design and supply them with paint so they are able to make this fort their own.
Use this fort for a puppet theatre, or a stage, or a “no girls or no boys” only, space to hide, or anything else their little hearts can dream of.
10. A Cozy Log Cabin Treehouse
If you’re looking for a stunning treehouse that even adults would be interested in spending time in, consider adding a small log cabin to your backyard.
You don’t even have to build the cabin high up. You can design it to suit your yard and is easy-to-build.
Decorating the interior with bears or wolves decor is fitting and can decorate the flower bed underneath with added flower variety and some fountains or other simple decorations.
You could even add a couple of rocking chairs on the “porch” for a fantastic summer spot.
11. A Unique TeePee Treehouse
Take a few sizable tree limbs or branches and create a large teepee around a tree, making sure to tie the top of the teepee together.
Next, use canvas, old blankets, sheets, or similar type of material to cover the walls of your teepee, creating a unique treehouse for your yard.
The treehouse can either sit on the ground, or you can create a plywood floor to raise the treehouse a foot or two off the ground.
12. A Fun FIlled Playground Treehouse
One of the best ways to have a treehouse in your backyard is to build a simple structure and add all of the fun features/activities to it.
A simple fort can be made up in a tree, and you can have a slide attached to the side, swings underneath, and a sandbox not far away.
What about using some chalkboard paint to make a tic-tac-toe board on the inside of the fort, or just space for the kids to be creative and make drawings while being outside?
Tips for Adding an Extra Touch to Really Make Your Treehouse Stand Out
For many families, having a treehouse in the backyard is simply a fantastic private retreat for the kids.
But for some, providing a little bit more than a basic treehouse is what you will want to do. In that case, here are a few fun treehouse ideas that you may want to add.
Add Some Lights for Extra Flare
There are a ton of different styles of outdoor lighting available today that can totally make your treehouse shine and light up your life.
Just make sure the lights you purchase are meant for the outdoors and are weatherproof materials!
You can put Christmas lights, LED color-changing lights, curtain lights, tiki torches, and so much more in your tree fort!
A Projector Screen Will Draw in a Crowd
Can you think of anything more exciting than watching a movie at night from your treehouse?
Neither can we, and that is why we think it is a great idea to buy a small projector and hang a screen (or white sheet) on the side of your fort.
A Bucket Pulley System
Having to walk up and down a treehouse with your kids to get something is in no way enjoyable.
We can assure you that your littles will love you more if you add a pulley system to their treehouse.
You can easily install a pulley in the tree with a couple of dollars and some rope from the lumber store!
A Treasure Chest Full of Fun
Place a treasure chest inside the treehouse that is filled with costumes, “gold,” and other dress-up items your kids can dig into every time they go out for some play.
A Crows Nest for Peace
A fantastic area for your child to get away and read, have some peace and quiet, or be on lookout for intruders is a crow’s nest at the top of the fort.
A crow’s nest can be a great little addition to any treehouse that can be used as a quick hideout.
A Theme for a Personal Touch
Whether your tree fort is for a child or adults, there is nothing more playful and emoitional than having a special theme.
Think of something that brings you the greatest Joy and try to build it into tree fort supplies, whether it is a zen space with soft pillows and warm juices, or build a spaceship painted silver with inlaid circled windows.
Final Thoughts
Age is merely a numeric statute when speaking about treehouses, and there is certainly a design for everyone willing to build a solid fort for their backyard.
When you unleash your imagination, the options seem endless.
To save you time however, you can use one of our treehouse ideas and images.