Use your loose parts and extra pieces in this pure genius of creativity–treehouses! Kids design and create the treehouse of their dreams with the supplies you have on hand!

Inclusion: Library programming is designed to be fully inclusive. Age limits may be implemented in certain programs to ensure that program content fosters appropriate developmental markers.

Accessibility: Have wide barreled glue sticks available or put glue into easy-hold bottles. Have loop scissors available.

Some kids may want to continue tinkering with their treehouse at home. Offer baggies for to-go supplies. Don’t forget to ask if they need glue since that may not be available at home.

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Mode: In-person

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Staff Energy: Moderate

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Ages: 5-12

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Cost: Free

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Length: 45-60 min.

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Ideal Attendance: varies

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STEAM Practices:

✓ Engineering

✓ Art

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Tags: free, elementary, tweens, STEM, STEAM, crafts

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Credit: Kate Davis

Supplies:

(Commonly on-hand supplies are not included in cost breakdown.)

Cardboard tubes

Flat cardboard (~12”x12”) for a flat surface to build on

Pipe cleaners

Colored paper

Scrapbook paper

Craft sticks

Dixie cups

Tape

Glue

Scissors

Leaves, feathers, buttons, pompoms, etc.

Clothespins, wood shapes

String

Other loose parts you have lying around

Total Cost: Free!

Instructions:

Read “What You Need for a Treehouse”. It’s a little long, so you might want to paraphrase or just talk about the illustrations and process of designing a structure.

Offer paper and pencils and encourage them to design before they build. Share with kids that tree houses have to be stable or they’ll fall over, so when they build their treehouse, they will need to first figure out the base.

Encourage teamwork because they might need more than two hands to make their designs a reality!

Let the creativity begin!

A tree-house like structure made out of upcycled cardboard tubes and feathers

Staff Know-How

Planning, Set Up & Facilitation

Obtain the book “Everything You Need for a Treehouse”. It’s a long book and would work best for older kids, but you can skim over it with youngers. Another option would be to just show/read the pages of building the treehouse.
Cut cardboard bases out of boxes (~12”x12”).
Set up all the supplies on a table and let the kids come pick out what pieces they want to work with.
Set glue, tape, pencils/markers/crayons on the work tables.

Pro-Tips

Parents will totally get into this and may start to take over their child’s craft. Ask the child leading questions about what the parent is doing and say that you would love to see them try that technique, style, idea, etc.