he first rule of treehouse building is that it all kind of depends on the tree. You can model yours on this one, or on your neighbor’s, or on one you saw on Treehouse Masters, but the tree (or trees) in your yard will be different thicker, farther apart, closer together, stronger, weaker so your design will change accordingly.

The second rule is, the kids should be involved. The building of a treehouse was an important selling point when we told our boys we were moving out of the big, exciting city to a sleepy rural town. I still have our older son’s hand-drawn plans for what he wanted it to look like. (It’s close.) And they both drove some nails and screws and found some cool branches that we incorporated into the design. They participated. The last rule is, it’s not gonna end up the way you think it’s gonna end up. Meaning: The plan will change as you go. New ideas will form once you’re up in that tree. And other ideas will prove undoable. Branches will get in the way, and things will generally look different from the air. Even a few feet up. So improvise. Adapt. Make it yours. Or, to be more precise: Make it your kids’.