Where do I start? Is there a low impact (on the tree) option? Any species or shape particularly good?

Our house is one of a row that backs onto some wooded, common land. The distinction between garden and common is a little fuzzy and as such, all the local kids use the whole margin, regardless of whose garden it may be, to play. The tree house therefore has to be safe but not overly engineered. I hope that this will turn into a small, Christmas, community project as the kids already love their “secret” campsites.

We have a few stands of redwoods in our garden and I have plans to develop a network of treehouses, sort of like an Ewok village. All for the kids, of course… but the general consensus seems to be that a few (widely spaced) big scars on the tree is better than many small ones, something to do with them compartmentalising the damage. Treehouse Attachment Bolts (TABs) seems to be flavour of the moment, but they’re not cheap. You can get the same effect using some 1″ or bigger coach bolts. This gives some advice on attachments.

You can probably ignore tree growth, assuming they are mature trees, but need to allow for movement in high winds, otherwise the treehouse can get ripped ot shreds.

You’ve probably got until Monday morning office hours before the STW Planning-Regs-Brigade is along but …

Well done bubs and WillH. In this day and age of PC killjoy parents it’s great to hear about these projects.
I’ve done it in the past but now do not have a suitable tree to do it with.

Pics would be great.

Check out Tree Team on quest. On at random times, next one 3am tomorrow morning. Should show you a few techniques and ideas.

Or it’ll be a crack and hooker den taken over by the local yoofs before Christmas 😉

Good point ^^^ . Local yoofs would welcome somewhere dry for their cider and bonfires. I am considering hacking a bramble maze to reach it with the entrance on our land (past our dog). WillH, second link very helpful – thank you.

Could a removable one of these be used to deter unwanted guests?

Not quite in the spirit of fun, but if needs must … 🙁

Edit; not actually something as dangerous to kids as that, but something with anti climb properties?