Tree houses can be a special part of any childhood. With a tree house's privacy and position, children can escape the world and still watch it from above. If you're a parent who wants to provide your child with a tree house, you can do so by downloading free tree house plans and personally building them. To choose the best free tree house plan, you should consider the tree house's future occupants, the desired shape of the tree house, its features, building materials and instruction details.

Choose a tree house that is appropriate for its occupants. Some tree house plans are specifically designed with children's safety in mind. Other tree house plans are created to support the weight of entire families. If your family intends to visit the tree house together, it's important to make sure that the tree house can sustain the weight of all of your family members at the same time.

Look for free tree house plans that include pictures. It's a lot easier to build a tree house if you have pictures or color diagrams to help you along. Try to choose plans that include cutting lists, too.

Decide on what shape of tree house you want to build. Free tree house plans can come in many types of designs. Plans can include simple, roofless tree houses, A-frame tree houses or more complex tree houses that resemble little homes. Keep in mind that the complexity of a tree house will dictate how much work, material and time will need to be invested in it. Make sure that the design you choose is compatible with all building regulations and restrictions in your area.

Select a tree house that contains all of the features that you desire. Trap doors, climbing walls, swings and slides often are included in free tree house plans. If they aren't included in the plans, the design should make the installation of additions easy. After a floor or platform foundation has been successfully installed, a tree house should be no more difficult to build than a small cabin or shack.

Consider what you have to work with. Trees need to be sturdy enough to support tree houses or at least act as one leg of a multiple-post tree house. You can build a tree house even if you don't have a suitable tree in your backyard. These tree houses are called "treeless tree houses," and plans for them usually are available with other free tree house plans. Good free tree house plans also include lists of materials, tools and tips, and they even can come with instructional books.