The Kids Will Love This!

To combat the site’s steep, uneven grade, Boeschenstein staggered a series of ipe decks around the two main volumes of the house. Atticus joins his brother, Bodhi, on the zigzag decks.

The media room features custom-designed bunks with Camp Wandawega for Land of Nod bedding.

A FilzFelt rug pairs beautifully with the animals on the mural. Diagonal strips were painted on the ceiling to give the appearance of a larger space. Photo by Jacob Snavely

A 17-foot-tall freestanding play structure that designer Sharon Davis designed for her family in upstate New York can only be entered by climbing taut netting and entering through a trap door. Descending requires sliding down two structural-columns-turned-fire-poles.

Davis worked with contractor Ted Timmer to construct the playhouse on her family’s 30-acre property.

Dotted with colorful footholds, a climbing wall covers one side of the home, allowing roof access.

To access a secret play area in the 2 Bar House by Feldman Architecture, children clamber up climbing holds purchased from a local sporting goods store.

Though plans are still being developed, a 14.9-mile unused railway in Singapore is set to be recast as a series of community spaces. Pictured is a rendering of a rock-climbing area by Nikken Sekkei.

Mason and friends scramble around his soon-to-be tree house as Muriel swings. What remains of the original brick house can be seen on the right side of the structure, with the new master bedroom on top and living area on the left. A hot tub and seating area are accessible through the basement and living area.

Compact bedrooms mean more space for communal areas. The room designed for the Conine’s daughter boasts a custom three-level bunkbed for sleepovers. The wool rug is by Chandra, the bedding is by Coyuchi, the desk is by Misewell, and the chair is by Jonathan Adler.

Have your children help you go through their book collections and pick out what books they haven't read yet. If you are able to safely leave your home, you can coordinate curbside dropoff book exchanges with friends.

Designer Erica Islas's Palisades Kids' Room features a rock-climbing wall and rope.

John built a shelf system for the basement when it was Anne’s office; he adapted it to store the kids’ toys when the area became a playroom.

If tidiness is paramount for the family, a place for the kids to play outdoors is equally important. The climbing wall at the back of the garden is entirely the work of Mark Tiarks, who built the Composite House and who relished a chance to step out from beneath Tozer’s plans and design an aspect of the house himself.

“The kids can look down into the sitting room or out the windows of their rooms into the park,” says Matthew Baird of the children’s lofts with their shiplike hatches. “It adds a layer of complexity to the design.”

Takuma strikes a pose from the loft lookout as seen from the second floor. The loft is used for storage as well as a place for some peace and quiet.

Debbi Gibbs’s son Blake had one primary design requirement: bunk beds. Specifically, he wanted "two sets of single bunks, one on each side, with a bridge over the top." Gibbs says the Venetian-style arched bridge connecting the two beds exceeded her expectations: "I was expecting a flat platform, but our builder decided to take Blake’s request (to connect them) and made him his very own Bridge of Sighs."

This children’s room and playroom caters to one family’s young kids with built-in cabinetry that allows the mess to be hidden away. Hufft designed this marker-board table, which was cut in the shape of Missouri. The ceiling features abstract details from Thomas Hart Benton paintings.