Build a Treehouse!

By Elaine and Jayne

Did you ever want a place all your own? We did. Do you like building things? We do, and so does our Dad. He's always fixing things up around our house. One day we decided to work together. We built a treehouse!

Elaine:
I worked on the treehouse from the very beginning. We started by making a drawing showing the design. I wanted a sliding window, a dumb waiter on a pulley, and a ladder that could be rolled up, so we wouldn't be bothered by annoying visitors!

When we began construction, I helped Dad dig holes for the footings. Footings are like tree roots. They connect the structure to the ground and keep it from sinking in or tipping over. We dug six holes. I held a tall post in place in each hole, while Dad poured concrete around it. We used quick dry cement, so it didn't take long to set. Then the post stood securely in place.

Dad and I nailed two-by-fours together to make a structural frame. We built the floor of the treehouse eight feet above the ground. Plywood covered the walls and roof. We made big windows on two sides.

Jayne:
Child with her dad on roof Child nailing shingles Nailing the shingles on the roof was tricky. First of all the roof had a steep slope, and we couldn't stand on it to work. Dad could reach the roof from the floor deck, so he did most of the nailing. We used shingles made of asphalt, the same material that is used to pave the street. These shingles come in rectangles about the thickness of cardboard. They have to be nailed to the roof in rows that overlap. That way, when it rains, the water will run down the roof from one shingle to the next without seeping into the building.

Dad started at the bottom and nailed row after row until he reached the ridge (or top) of the roof. I nailed the top row all by myself. I had to sit high on the ridge about fourteen feet above the ground. I wasn't scared. My feet rested on a tall ladder, and Dad was there to keep me from tumbling off.

When it came to falls, Elaine was not so lucky! On her ninth birthday, she decided to do a little climbing, as she waited for friends to arrive for the party. She grabbed a wooden mullion that ran across the window. It broke! She fell backwards, twisting her arm as she hit the ground.

The last thing Elaine wanted to do was spoil her party. She insisted she was absolutely, positively all right. Dad looked at her and suggested, "It's probably just a sprain. Rest for a while, and we'll put some ice on it." The party continued with presents, pizza and cake. Long after all the guests had left, Elaine sat holding an ice pack against her aching arm.

Finally, Mom couldn't bear standing by. She drove Elaine to the doctor's office for x-rays. Surprise! Elaine had a broken arm, but-- phew!-- it was only a crack the thickness of a hair running through the bone. A cast was in order! Her arm healed in a few weeks.

Elaine and Jayne:
We're still working on the treehouse. It needs siding, paint, and a new rail at the window. We play in it, but we're VERY careful now! One day recently we asked Mom to make popcorn. Then we invited two friends over. We went up into the treehouse and told scary stories. When it started to drizzle, the rain didn't bother us one bit. In fact, we liked it, because we stayed dry inside!

Girl wearing safety goggles Girl sawing board If you're thinking of building your own fort, we'd say, "Yes!" Try to find someone to help you, and look for a good source of materials.-- "Build it on the ground where you can't fall out and get hurt!" (That's our worry-wart Mom talking.)-- We try to remember safety rules by wearing goggles and using caution when we work with tools. What's most important? Safety, of course, but also, having a great time. We do. We hope you will, too!

Elaine, age 11, and Jayne, age 9, have built one treehouse and countless other castles and structures. Their favorite building materials are cardboard boxes and junk.

Projects

Build a Fort

Have you tried building a fort? For an indoor fort, you might use cardboard boxes to build the walls. You can use markers to draw features like windows, signs, and other special decorations. A tablecloth or sheet makes a good roof. You might want to work together with your brother, sister, or a good friend. It's fun to sit inside and tell stories when you're finished!

Draw a Picture

If you don't have time or space to build a fort, try drawing a picture of your ideal treehouse. What special spaces would you include? Would there be more than one level? Would it have some unusual inventions, such as high-tech computers or holography, or would it be more like "camping out" in a tree? How would people get into the house and how would you keep out unwelcome guests, such as mosquitoes or pesky brothers and sisters!!?

Write a Story

If you enjoy spinning tall tales, write a story about your adventures in a treehouse. Who would come along? Where would you locate your fort-- in your neighborhood, on a remote island like the treehouse in Swiss Family Robinson, or another faraway place? What problems would you have to solve? What enemies might stand in your way? What special knowledge would help you succeed with your quest?

Books about Building Treehouses, Forts and Shelters

Adkins, Jan. How a House Happens, New York: Walker, 1972.

Nelson, Peter. Treehouses: The Art and Craft of Living Out on a Limb, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.

Walker, Lester. Housebuilding for Children, Woodstock: The Overlook Press, 1977.

Stories and Poems about Treehouses

Marshall, James. Three Up a Tree, New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1986.

Schertle, Alice. In My Treehouse, New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1983.

Silverstein, Shel. "The Treehouse," Where the Sidewalk Ends, p. 79, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1974.

Also, several of A.A. Milne's most popular characters, including Piglet and Owl, live in houses in trees.

Milne, A. A. The World of Pooh: The Complete Winnie-The-Pooh and the House at Pooh Corner, E.P. Dutton and Company, 1957.

Anyone who loves treehouses will enjoy the island home created for Walt Disney's film, Swiss Family Robinson. The movie is available on video. The story was adapted from the ninteenth century novel of the same name. According to my thirty-year-old edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, Johann David Wyss, a Swiss pastor, wrote the original text called Der schweizerische Robinson. His son, Johann Rudolf Wyss, completed the work as a collaborative project with his four children. -- L.M.