Thoughts on treehouses?

[Anonymous]

You mean a bug house?

[Anonymous]

It will be a fun place for them to smoke weed when they are teenagers.

[Anonymous]

DH and DS built a basic one--just a platform between two trees and railings, had a rope to climb up as well as some wood steps on the tree. DS spent a lot of time up there with the neighbor kid, building Knex and doing who knows what. The rope got a lot of play for years just for swinging on. We took it down a couple years ago because the growth of the tree was making it unsafe. I still find Knex in the yard once in a while.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it. The kids rarely play in after a few weeks and it's an eyesore.

[Anonymous]

Check with your homeowners insurance to see if you are covered liability wise for a child falling. My cousin's had to take theirs down after learning the cost to insure m

[Anonymous]

We had one of those swingsets that had a small fort above the slide/sandbox. My oldest was up there all the time for a few years, playing with toys or reading. Altogether the playset got enough use to justify the investment although like the PPs it eventually became an eyesore. (And I too still find small toys buried in the garden!)

Next door to us is a new build whose first owner built a large elaborate tree house. In 10 years and two families, I've literally never seen anyone near it.

[Anonymous]

My husband built one and it was incredible. Really sturdy, beautiful details and a special circular staircase. My son used it a few times. We moved away when he was 13 so he had plenty of time and just wasn't interested. Weather in DC metro area is always too hot or too cold.

[Anonymous]

We had one on stilts, sandbox underneath, had a stair type ladder (more like stairs) and a slide attached. Very open. I once hung shower curtains in it and spent the night with my sister out there, held tea parties, etc.
When I got older, my mom used it to watch birds and photograph them. It was like a gazebo on stilts.

[Anonymous]

Elaborate on-ground playhouse in trees rarely used. Heavy duty swing set with tiny slide and climbing side used. Swings sturdy enough for teens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember that we finally decided to buy one of those play jungle gyms with a slide, rock wall, swings, tree house area and monkey bars. I was hesitant because I drove around and saw many of these in other yards but never once saw a kid playing on one. DH wanted to get one. We compromised from his 7000 configuration in 2009 to a much much cheaper one from Costco.

Honestly, the kids loved it and played on it for several years. When they were too old to play on it, the younger siblings of friends parents who would come over to dinner played on it. It was worth the price in the end.

Your kids are only young once and the future sucks, give them joy now.

Same. Our Costco configuration of tree-house and playset cost around $800. Cost of putting a perimeter around it with lots and lots of mulch, and play sand for the inbuilt sand pit was separate. We also cleaned and stained it every year so that it was well preserved. Both kids and their friends played on it for years.

After around 17 years...we wanted to get rid of it. It was a beloved playset in excellent condition. But we wanted to put a huge stone patio in our backyard for entertaining and so wanted to reclaim that space.

Our landmowing company wanted $600 to demolish it and then take it the dump. So, instead we put it on EBAY for $1 with stipulation that buyer comes, dismantles and takes it away.

A young dad with a baby boy, a grandma, handyman know-how, a large truck came and basically dismantled the whole thing in a couple hours. Taking lots of pictures on his cell phone, and collecting all the screws, nuts and bolts in a coffee can. (Hope he sees this and recognizes himself). I felt so happy knowing that this will be a person who will appreciate the playset and his little boy will play on it.