TOPS Treehouse

TOPS Treehouse was custom designed and built for students at The Orinda Preschool .

Since 1938, The Orinda Preschool’s play-based curriculum has offered young children copious amounts of self-directed exploration, and free time in the school playground is a central part of the daily routine. In 2015, the preschool researched new playground ideas for schools and decided on a custom treehouse component to add to their outdoor space.

School leaders turned to treehouse builder Barbara Butler to build a custom outdoor learning environment that would allow preschoolers to explore the the tree tops in safe and age-appropriate ways. Known for her creative play structures, Barbara came up with an inclusive playground design that features a tree platform surrounding a giant oak tree with careful cutouts designed to exactly match the tree’s unique shape.

With the choice of using a ladder, steps, or a rope net climb to enter the treehouse, youngsters are beckoned upwards and encouraged to develop their climbing skills in a safe and fun environment. An age-appropriate slide provides a fun way down from the play structure.

For safety, the tree platform is surrounded by 6' high hand-lashed rope netting with additional "non-climbable" netting extending further at key spots for maximum peace of mind. The overall result is a sensory friendly playground component that can be used for imaginative play, class story time, or for taking a moment to appreciate the wonder of nature.

The rung ladder and the ADA transfer platform system provide easy ways up to the 4' high deck. The hand-woven rope net ladder is the more challenging way up to the 5' high deck, which also has a scoop slide for a quick, fun way down. 

TOPS Treehouse meets ASTM F1487 Standards for Public Use Playground Equipment and the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act.