Building a Treehouse

By Ron Dalby
Published on May 1, 1984
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PHOTO: RON DALBY
"It's anything and everything I think is best/Because, when I climb to my house in the tree/I pretend it's whatever I want it to be." (Harold Longman, The Wonderful Tree House.)  

In days gone by, it was referred to as a treehouse, but today’s child most likely calls it a tree fort. No matter what its title, though, the place is basically the same: a safe arboreal hideout … mysteriously endowed with the power to transport its occupants far away from worldly matters and into the realm of fantastical play and unencumbered daydreams. You remember the place ….

And, while reminiscing, you may also recall that these aerial habitats usually come in two distinct forms: There’s the sturdy fortress cautiously constructed by a hammer-wise adult, and then there’s the ramshackle (but equally usable) type built by the inexperienced but enthusiastic carpenters/adventurers who plan to inhabit it. Of the two versions, only one is really worth creating: the latter. After all, whereas an adult-built structure might be more aesthetically pleasing (to parents), a child-made hangout is enriched with the unique (and oftentimes quite inspired) resourcefulness of its youthful creators.

However, you must keep in mind that, although these child-crafted models might appear to be haphazard in design, there really is a basic “recipe” that must be adhered to. Otherwise, the outcome could be downright dangerous. The exact amounts of ingredients involved may vary according to the builders’ needs and whatever raw materials are available, but the general components of a tree fort are always the same. Just in case you’ve got an eager crew of aspiring builders, I’ve prepared an outline of the basic plan, complete with a few directions on what to do with the ingredients when you’ve assembled them:

Building a Treehouse

  1. One parent able to stand up to a mate’s protestations and say, “Let the kids build it themselves if they want to!” (Naturally, this could be difficult if the Joneses across the street have recently subcontracted a multistory split-level tree palace for their child.)
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