The Tree House

Why did we build this tree house? We have always wanted to give our kids a fun backyard, the backyard that Tyler and I dreamt about when we were younger. We haven’t been able to give our kids this amazing magical backyard until this house. Something that has changed for us over the last couple years is the importance on being outside as much as possible. Our dream of giving them the yard we dreamt about has now just turned into giving them an awesome backyard so that they love being outside. We are not big on watching tv and we don’t even have video games. I have a new appreciation for the benefits of being outside. Spending time in forests, hiking mountains, and just being outside can lead to significant health benefits. So why shouldn’t we teach our kids this from as young as we can? The last year our kids spent more time outside than in our house and that could not make me any happier. The philosophy in our house has been, the dirtier and more tired the kids are at the end of the day, means it was a good day for them. They will also have great childhood memories because of that. Kids can have baths/showers and get clean, clothes are meant to go in washing machines when they get dirty, band aids were invented because cuts happen, at some point you have to throw your hands up and let the kids go wild and have fun. One of our favourite things in the summer to do is have mud baths! YES, the kids get covered head to toe in MUD and it is so fun watching them laugh and just get dirty. So with being outside being such a big part of our lives this is where the tree house comes into play. It was about creating another feature in the backyard to let their imaginations run wild, have their own dinner parties with their friends, "play house", have their own garden and a piece of the backyard to take care of and take pride in. It also shows them a sense of responsibility in a way as well. The last few weeks we had a lot of rain and that doesn’t usually stop us from being outside. We don’t spend hours in the rain, but what were rain jackets and rubber boots made for if not to have a little fun in the rain while staying somewhat dry? The kids have also used the playhouse  the last couple weeks while its been off and on raining, they pack it full of food,  blankets and take cover!

How did we design this bad boy? Well I will say that once we got the walls up we all of a sudden decided to change the style of the roof, and we changed a few other things along the way as well. We did not have every detail figured out before we started. Tyler and I have always been quite creative when it comes to designing a space or building things together, so we just let the creative juices flow while we build. Why it ended the way it did is just multiple visions combined. I loved the idea of having a wrap around deck around one of our big maple trees, to hang out and doubles as extra seating when we would have lots of people over. We decided to give the kids that feature for their tree house as a wrap around porch, makes it even more like a miniature home for them. We also wanted to have a place for them to climb and be monkeys on, so we attached beams to the side of the house that go across the side so that we could put swings and monkey bars, or should I say charley bars. We had talked about putting in that rubber playground flooring but we opted for the cheaper version called natural mulch, and it breaks a fall just as well. The kids also have fun and play with the mulch with their trucks.

If you have been looking to build your kids a tree house and love the look of ours.. we have a present for you! We are still working hard to finish it up but we will have the treehouse plans/blueprints up on the site for FREE very soon. Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter so that you don't miss when it becomes available.