Treehouses are meant for escaping–– worries disappear, and the fun times, imaginations, and giggles are abundant. All the ideas might come flowing at once for your backyard treehouse, or you might be looking for a few final finishing touches. Wherever you’re at in your treehouse journey, we’ve thought of 15 creative ideas for the treehouse.
These ideas include interior and exterior ideas, from adding seating to adding a slide and many things in between, all with the hope of an end result of your treehouse becoming the cool treehouse on the block.
Interior treehouse ideas
1. Make a theme
A treehouse doesn’t need a theme to make it enjoyable. However, adding a theme can make an ordinary treehouse a unique treehouse. The best part is that there’s no wrong theme for a treehouse–– pick one according to your or your kids’ interests. Some ideas for a theme include the following:
- Beach
- Rustic
- Enchanted
- Farmhouse
- Sports
2. Decorate the walls with artwork
Is your refrigerator full of your kids’ artwork, and are you unsure where else to put it? Why not decorate the walls of the treehouse with their artwork? Turn the interior treehouse walls into a display wall of their artwork with picture frames. Think of it as their first art exhibit.
3. Hang large chalkboards
Most kids love to draw, and chalk is a staple childhood enjoyment. You can hang large chalkboards inside the treehouse for the kids to draw to their hearts’ content.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you could climb up into the treehouse after the kids have gone to bed and write them sweet messages on their chalkboards for them to find the next time they’re up there.
4. Keep small toys in the treehouse
Treehouses are an enjoyable escape on their own, conversations are easily had, and the fun times never seem to end. But if you keep small toys in the treehouse, you can easily double the amount of time spent there. Things like coloring books, Lego sets, compact games, a deck of cards, or reading books are small enough not to take over valuable space but just the right size to add more to the tree fort.
Tip: Use a small container with a lid to keep the toys tidy.
5. Lighting
Your kids might want to spend a cozy summer night hanging high in the treetops in their treehouse, and adding some interior lighting will be just what they need. There are several options for treehouse lighting, including the following:
- Flashlights
- Tap lights
- Flameless candles
6. Seating
You want your treehouse to be cozy–– adding some seating adds to the cozy factor. Instead of adding full-blown chairs to a small treehouse, use some cushions on the floor instead.
If you have a large treehouse, you could opt for actual chairs or a loveseat if you desire to do so and the space allows for it.
Exterior treehouse ideas
7. Make a DIY treehouse
Make it a family project and construct your own treehouse. Even beginners can construct a simple treehouse design like an a-frame.
8. Climbing feature to get inside the treehouse
Sure, you could use traditional stairs to get inside the treehouse, but what fun is that? A cargo net or rock climbing wall to enter the treehouse makes it more challenging and entertaining.
9. Paint the treehouse
Adding color to the treehouse walls makes it easier to make your theme come to life or add some personality to your treehouse sans theme.
You might have the perfect color scheme for the treehouse, but if you don’t, consider letting your kids help decide the paint colors. Just think–– it’s better to have that weird paint color on the treehouse walls instead of their bedroom walls. Maybe even add some painted handprints to the wall to serve as a family memory.
10. More lighting
Earlier, we talked about interior lights for the treehouse–– but the kids need to be able to find the treehouse when it’s dark, so we’ve got a few exterior lighting ideas for you too.
- String lights
- Solar powered lights
- Floodlights (motion sensor)
11. Add a slide
A slide is an alternate method to get back down from the treehouse instead of climbing back down via the stairs, rock climbing wall, or cargo net.
Bonus points: If your treehouse is close to your pool, your slide could go right into the pool. Just don’t forget trusted adult supervision if swimming occurs.
12. Add swings beneath the treehouse
If you were to add a slide coming down from the treehouse and swings hanging beneath the treehouse, you would have created a playset too. You could do a tire swing or traditional playset swings. Either way, you will have doubled the fun of having both a treehouse and a playset.
13. Deck
Adults enjoy sitting on the deck, taking in the beauty of their outside surroundings. Kids might enjoy the same for their treehouse. Adding a tree deck not only extends the square footage of the hideout but also gives kids an opportunity to take in their surroundings without the walls and roof obstructing their view.
Tip: Don’t forget to add railings for safety to your treehouse deck. Consider installing small gates in the railings for safe access to desk accessories (such as slides or ziplines). Otherwise, children might crawl over the railing, which isn’t safe.
14. Add a zipline
Do you have another tree near your treehouse? If your treehouse includes a deck and a nearby tree, you can add a zipline for more entertainment.
15. Make an adult treehouse
Who said treehouses were just for kids? You can create an adult-friendly treehouse. It could be a version of a she-shed, man cave, clubhouse, craft room, hideaway, office, or whatever you want to call it–– make it a fresh and new space to enjoy.
No tree? No problem!
Although the word tree is in the name treehouse, you don’t need a tree to construct a treehouse. You can add stilts to a wooden playhouse to create the feeling of being up in the trees without the tree.
Do you have a playroom that needs something new? You could construct an inside treehouse with all the woodsy feels to mimic the ambiance of being outside.
When to call a professional
Even if your treehouse is a DIY project, contact a local arborist to ensure the tree’s health before undertaking the project. Trees can look fine from the outside, but a local pro can spot trouble on the inside.
A DIY prefabricated treehouse kit can cost as low as $500. But if building a DIY treehouse is a large undertaking, consider connecting with a local professional. Hiring a professional to build a traditional, simple treehouse can start around $4,000, however, you have the peace of mind knowing your treehouse will last and remain safe for years to come.
With a beautiful tree house for your kids to enjoy comes an increased desire to spend more time outside. But you can’t have an enjoyable time when lawn pests ruin the fun or there’s a jungle of weeds leading to the treehouse. Connect with a lawn care professional to help with your mowing, edging, or trimming needs.
Main Image Credit: Pxhere
