The first thing to remember homebuilder a play area for children is: "If they can, they will." If they can climb to the top of the swingset, they will. If they can jump off a tower, they will. If they can stick their head between the railings they will. If 12 kids can stand on a swinging bridge at one time, they will. If they can fly off the.... you get the point.

So, please, look at the project you are about to build with safety in mind. Be sure edges are not sharp, fingers cannot be pinched, and swinging objects are not too hard. Above all, be sure that there is a surface that will absorb the impact of a fall under and around any objects on which children can climb. It is far less costly to build a safe play area than it is to visit an emergency room.

• Backyard Play Areas You Can Make: Complete Plans and Instructions for Building Playhouses, Forts, and Swing Sets - by Paul Gerhards

• Home Tree Home - by Peter Nelson, David Larkin, Paul Rocheleau

• Treehouses: You Can Actually Build (Weekend Project Book Series) - by David and Jeanie Stiles

• Treehouses: The Art and Craft of Living Out on a Limb - by Peter Nelson, David Larkin, Paul Rocheleau

• The Treehouse Book - by Peter Nelson, Judy Nelson, Paul Rocheleau (Photographer), David Larkin

• Playhouses You Can Build: Indoor & Backyard Designs (Weekend Project Book Series) - by David R. Stiles, Jeanie Stiles

• Children's Playhouses: Plans and Ideas - by Tina Skinner

• Retreats: Handmade Hideaways to Refresh the Spirit - by G. Lawson Drinkard III

• Little Retreats: More Than Thirty Cozy Getaway Spaces for the Seaside - by Jane Tidbury, Peter Aprahamian

• Rustic Retreats: A Build-It-Yourself Guide - by David R. Stiles, Jeanie Trusty Stiles

• Hiding in a Fort: Backyard Retreats for Kids - by G. Lawson Drinkard, Fran Lee

• A Kids Guide to Building Forts - by Tom Birdseye, Bill Klein

• A Shelter Sketchbook: Timeless Building Solutions - by John S. Taylor

• Building an Igloo - by Ulli Steltzer

• The Indian Tipi: Its History, Construction, and Use - by Reginald Laubin, Gladys Laubin, Stanley Vestal

  The Kids Campfire Book Playhouses You Can Build Tree Houses: You Can Actually Build

• Make Your Own Tipi - by James E. Jones

• Tipis & Yurts: Authentic Design for Circular Shelters - by Blue Evening Star, Leslie Dierks

• Retreats: Handmade Hideaways to Refresh the Spirit - by G. Lawson Drinkard, Lawson Drinkard

• Housebuilding for Children: Step-by-Step Plans for Houses Children Can Build Themselves - by Les Walker, Nonny Hogrogian

• A Little House of My Own: 47 Grand Designs for 47 Tiny Houses - by Lester Walker

• The Tiny Book of Tiny Houses - by Lester Walker

• Tiny Tiny Houses - by Lester Walker

• How to Make Play Houses - by Peter Holland

• Build a Kid's Play Yard - by Jeff Beneke, Neil Soderstrom

• A Child's Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents - by Molly Dannenmaier

• Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together With Children - by Sharon Lovejoy

• Garden Retreats: A Build-It-Yourself Guide - by Jeanie Stiles, David R. Stiles

• Garden Retreats: Creating an Outdoor Sanctuary - by Barbara Blossom Ashmun, Allan Mandell (Photographer)

• The Sanctuary Garden: Creating a Place of Refuge in Your Yard or Garden - by Christopher Forrest McDowell, Tricia Clark-McDowell, C. Forest McDowell

• Plants for Play: A Plant Selection Guide for Children's Outdoor Environments - by Robin C. Moore

• Landscapes for Learning: Creating Outdoor Environments for Children and Youth - by Sharon Stine

• Natural Learning: The Life History of an Environmental Schoolyard - by Robin C. Moore, Herbert H. Wong

• Play for All Guidelines: Planning, Designing and Management of Outdoor Play Settings for All Children - by Robin C. Moore, Susan M. Goltsman, Daniel S. Iacofano (Editor)

• Safety First Checklist: Inspection and Maintenance Program for Children's Play Areas - by Sally McIntyre, Susan M. Goltsman