Get creative when designing play spaces for your children

If you're a parent today,  you probably realize that the days of sending your little ones out to play with the understanding that they'll be home before dark have long-since passed. That doesn't mean that children don't play outside anymore, it's just that the past few years have really upped the ante on appropriate play areas for kids. 

These days, one of the best ways to encourage creativity in kids is to give them a wonderful space that they can call their own that's encouraging of imaginative play. Consider building a spot in your backyard that your tiny tot can call his own. Even a tree house can be extra special if you do it right. 

While they were once little more than plywood lofts high up in trees, tree houses have become an art form all their own, and a place where your children can create an entire imaginary world. These miniature homes have roofs and doors, while some even have stained glass windows. Perhaps the biggest change between these improved tree houses and the ones you remember from childhood is that these "tree mansions" often feature a grand staircase rather than a few planks leading up the trunk. 

If you want to give your little one some really special childhood memories, you can create a tree house of their dreams. The more whimsical the better, so feel free to go crazy with your stair parts. Incorporate interesting staircase newels and wooden stair spindles to make their tree house into a beautiful miniature of your own home. 

Some of these hideaways are so intricate that they even have little lofts on the inside. The more creative you get in designing the tree house of your kid's dreams, the better time they will have playing here.