Treehouse

Keep the kids off screens and swept up in outdoor adventures with a custom retreat amid the canopy of a favourite tree

4 safety

When it comes to treehouse safety, there are two things to consider: falls and insurance. One of the best ways to soften the landing from any unfortunate falls is to cover the ground below the house with mulch or a similarly soft ground cover. You will also need to speak to your insurance provider about what sort of cover you have for a treehouse in your garden as far as fire risk and injury.

5 extra features

A treehouse can be as simple or as complex as you like. It can be a single wooden room with a tarp for a roof and a pulley system with a bucket, or a well-constructed cubby suspended in the trees, complete with a corrugated-iron roof, windows and a deck for good indoor/outdoor connection to the trees – it all depends on your budget and desires. Castle & Cubby has a range of raised cubby and tree houses starting from $2700 for a platform with slide and sandpit options, to $3200 for a platform with a square cubby on it. Add-ons might include awnings, bunting and shelves. Inside, all you really need are simple pieces to keep your kids interested

– and using their imagination.

The treehouse opposite was built by landscape company Quercus Gardens for a home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. “They were family friends who wanted a retreat for their kids,” says Quercus Gardens’ owner Rich Rimell. “This magnificent design has a secret access hatch, a pulley system to bring in treats, a tyre swing for monkeying around, and an old-fashioned tin roof for all-weather protection. Set among existing mature trees and an understory of ferns and Agapanthus, it keeps the kids entertained for hours!”

DIY is budgetfriendly, or go for bespoke with a treehouse builder