The benefits of a bespoke treehouse for child development and wellbeing

It seems intuitive that treehouses can be a great way of encouraging your kids to get away from their screens and outside in nature, but what does science have to say about it all? How beneficial is it for children to play and spend more time outside? And how can a bespoke treehouse design help facilitate that?

In this blog, we round up the latest thinking on outdoor play to help you weigh up the benefits of building a bespoke treehouse for your kids. 

Outdoor play can make your kids physically and mentally healthier

Increased outdoor time for children is linked with improved motor development, lower obesity rates, and reduced nearsightedness risk. Safe exposure to sunshine is also a great way to help your kids get the vitamin D they need to stay healthy and strong. Outdoor play can also give children the opportunity to learn new skills that they cannot learn at home. For instance, a bespoke treehouse for kids can include novel play apparatus such as monkey bars, gym bars, gymnastics hoops, and climbing walls, which all provide opportunities for children to learn new skills such as climbing, in a safe environment. Active play on a treehouse apparatus can be a great way to increase your children's strength, endurance and balance. Finally, outdoor play has been linked to reduced stress and mental fatigue. 

Encourages your children to be curious, imaginative, playful, problem solvers

According to researchers, children have an evolutionary need to engage in free, unstructured, exploratory play outdoors. In particular, ‘risky play’ which can be defined as exhilarating play, that can include heights, challenges, heights, speed, and testing of limits, is shown to be of particular benefit. For instance, risky play is associated with increased independence, confidence, resilience and self-regulation skills. A bespoke treehouse for kids can include a whole range of daring play apparatus which can help them push their boundaries within your backyard. This type of outdoor play is often open-ended, which allows children to explore on their terms. It helps to stretch their imaginations and provides new opportunities for them to solve problems. 

Helps your kids to connect with nature

A study of over 450 children at primary schools found that their well-being increased after time spent connecting with nature. Nature connection led to educational benefits as well as improved well-being. In the study, 90% of children felt they learned something new about the natural world and 79% felt that their experience could help their school work. As well as encouraging your children to get outside, bespoke treehouses for kids offer new ways for them to connect with nature. Their height and proximity to the tree canopy and branches, allow children to get much closer to tree-dwelling insects, birds and animals. Why not incorporate a nature observation hide as part of your children’s treehouse? Or a sleeping area so that your kids can have treehouse sleepovers to observe and listen to nocturnal birds and animals? 

Reduces screen time

Whilst screen time can be educational and fun for children, too much of it can be detrimental. Research shows that the more screen time your child has, the greater their risk of obesity, irregular sleep, behavioural problems, impaired academic performance, and even desensitisation to violence. Of course, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how much is too much, this will vary according to each child. If you are looking to encourage your children to have a more balanced lifestyle that includes plenty of time outside, playing alone or with their friends, then a bespoke treehouse can be a really powerful draw to get them away from their screens. The more fun play features you can cram in the better!

New ways to socialise and interact

A treehouse isn't just a peaceful retreat for your child; it can be a vibrant hub where children gather with friends, siblings, neighbours, and even adults. Within this shared space, kids learn valuable social skills like cooperation, negotiation, and effective communication. Engaging in collaborative, imaginative play fosters scenarios where they work together to plan, construct, and immerse themselves in make-believe adventures. These experiences are instrumental in nurturing children's teamwork abilities and emotional intelligence.