Tree House (retired)

[green chile supergirl]

Released in Spring 2008, retired in 2011.

Kit can play the day away in the tree house of her dreams. This hideaway is the perfect place for Kit to play with her friends:
A wooden tree house that’s big enough for two dolls, with a faux stained-glass window that opens and a balcony big enough for Kit to stand on
A pretend oak tree that supports the house on its sturdy trunk
A chandelier made of multicolored beads to hang from the ceiling
A lantern with glow-in-the-dark lightning bugs inside
Self-adhesive photos of Kit’s heroes to decorate the “Member-o-belia” wall
A rope and bucket to lift Kit’s dog, Grace, up to the balcony
Dimensions: W: 36" x H: 37" x D: 23"
F6589 $250


I grabbed my tree house yesterday morning, my partner circling the block in Midtown Manhattan while the streets were closed off for the Israel and Filipino parades! I will write a more thorough review later in the evening, but I wanted to get the photos up.


The tree house. You can see some doll beds and other furniture in the background for scale.



The lower front of the Tree House. The rope for the pulley wraps around the branch of the tree. Very low-tech.



The tree is a White Oak. Apparently, the leaves weren't doing too well in the depression either.


The pulley/ left front of the Tree House.


The tree house window. Pretty swanky!


Open window. It clicks open and stays in one of several positions.


Leaf. They're on little ball joints.


The mobile. It's cheap plastic. I'm disappointed in this, though it's not that big of a deal.


Sign on the interior of the tree house. We probably find out who she is from the movie.


The lantern. Fireflies look pathetic. Note the Kit "logo" on the jar.


Rear of tree house.


Top of tree house.


Top of tree house w/ half of roof removed. (Both halves are removable.)

[designerdiana]

I give the treehouse the following grades:

A for AG designing something completely different
A for durability and materials
C for accessories, at this price I would expect more/better stuff
B- for inside space (or lack thereof)
A for that nifty, multi-position stained glass window
B- for price

I may well buy a treehouse, even at this price, because it really is pretty adorable. But personally I would only buy it with the intention of modifying the back wall. I would put a hinge along the bottom so that the entire back wall would fold down into a wood plank floor that serves as a deck or expanded interior. I would put cylinders underneath for support. I think the treehouse is neat enough to make this modification worthwhile, because then there would be enough space "inside" for a slumber party or table and chairs. This would greatly increase the playability of this item, for my money.

As it is designed, two dolls can lay rightnexttoeachother and their heads and feet touch the side walls. In "slumber party mode" two dolls completely fill the treehouse laying down. See photo.

See also other photo showing Kit and Ruthie standing up, backed into the rear corners of the treehouse. You could probably get five or six dolls in there standing up, filling the treehouse.

The last photo shows me next to the treehouse. I'm a big girl -- six feet tall -- and the treehouse still looks really big next to me.

I'm excited about the treehouse, and would definitely be interested in it, but like I say, I would modify the back wall, and probably add some leaves to the plastic caps that attach leaves to the ends of branches.

And a sale price wouldn't hurt! But I don't see that happening for at least a year or two. Maybe AG won't sell as many as hoped at that price, and will slash the cost to move 'em out. One can always dream

_{mod edit to fix broken images}

[happykim]

I checked the treehouse out carefully when I went to AGPC and decided that despite how adorable it is, I would not be purchasing it for my daughters. I think it is an awesome display piece, but very poor for play value. The balcony space in the front gets in the way of trying to do things with the dolls in the house. The doorway opening isnt really that big when it comes to actually having the dolls do things in the house....The pulley is cute...the window is cute, too, but for a child to be able to manipulate the dolls inside the very close and small space, with shorter arms than an adults, seems very difficult and limited. I agree with the above poster who said the back should be hinged and drop down to allow more play space and access. I think AG screwed up on this one...cute as it is!

[rnmatthew]

I cannot say enough about how much I like the Tree House. My daughter is only 4, however, she is able to play with it just fine. She puts the dolls inside, they have picnics and she loves pulling coconut up the tree. I highly recommend it even though it is quite expensive and very large...the tree branches are removable though, so you can store it nicely.

If you are trying to create an American Girl town for your kid's dolls, this is a must have! It is a fun and unique piece to have.

[sophiasapientia]

I recently received the treehouse, purchased on sale, as a gift. It is a charming, heirloom-quality piece. As a Kit collector, I'm having such fun using it to display my dolls and my 6 year old has enjoyed playing with it as well. My favorite part is the darling stained glass window! The treehouse requires adult assembly (the instructions, which were hard to find, are in the bag with the stickers) and took my husband and me about 45 minutes to unpack and put together. As others have noted, there isn't a ton of space inside and the accessories are a bit lacking. Even still, if you have the space, I would certainly recommend the treehouse to Kit collectors ... especially if you can snag it on sale and with a free shipping code.

Grade: A-

[MaryCarly]

I have it and don't play with it at all, yet it is one of my all time favorite purchases! It just makes me smile every time I see it.
My friend helped me find small birds to place in the branches and I have two dolls displayed on the porch. It isn't that easy to play inside, but it is such a unique piece that I don't think you will regret getting it. One note: It does take 30 to 60 minutes to assemble it and it is easier if you have a helper.

[ksfbb]

I havve this and YES, both my dds have gotten MUCH play time out of this. It will hold Kit's desk and chair quite nicely. (and my dd was able to put this in herself...though I would have preferred that she ask me....)

With the desk in there, Kit could be in there as well and Ruthie could stand on the porch.

I had buyers remorse at first simply because I just don't generally spend that kind of money on anything, but when I saw the fun had with it, it was gone

[Megans Mom]

My daughter got the tree house for Christmas last year and she really loves it. She is nine years old. You can not fit alot of furniture inside but it is very well built and I felt like it was worth the money. I don't think you will be dissappointed.

[kdgteacher]

I don't play with mine either, but I still LOVE it!!! I decorate it for the holidays and such. Here are a few pics...

[Megans Mom]

Oct 22, 2009 8:22:15 GMT -5 @tanmomof3 said:

Can you disassemble it after you put it together?

I know it's heavy, so I was wondering if is could be taken apart say if we move or something in a few years. Also, will it fit through a standard doorway?

Thanks!
Tanya

It will fit through a standard doorway because my daughter and I have moved hers throughout our house. It started out in her playroom but is now in her bedroom. It could be taken apart because it is put together with screws. I don't know if I would recommend taking it apart to many times because it might weaken the structure (does that make sense).

[aggrama]

The tree limbs move around for adjustment, and we actually popped one of the limbs off, not that it is cheaply made, but to try and see if they come off easily to store it, if need be, and they do come off. I am not sure how the house part or the stand part would come off, I'm sure it's possible, but I think you would need a screwdriver to take those parts apart, if they indeed do.

[MaryCarly]

It took some work and time to put the house section together (two people & 30 minutes), but the branches simply snap on and there are only a few screws holding the house to the base. If I was going to move it, I would probably remove the branches and the base (trunk) and then just move the house as is. It could be taken apart, but there wouldn't be a great deal of advantage as you would still need a large box to pack it in and I would be concerned about the screws not really grabbing again when you went to put it back together. Once the branches are removed, the house itself isn't really that big. Also, the branches can be put in backwards so that they grow over the house instead of out away from the house. I think it looks better this way and it also takes up much less room.

I wish I could take pictures, but I don't have a camera right now. Perhaps I can explain it better. If you go to the treehouse pic on the AG site, just imagine that you exchange the branches so that the ones on left are put on the right and the right ones are on the left.

I initially saw it here on the board with someone else's pics and it was why I decided on getting the tree house. I knew that it would have to go in our bedroom under the window. Since that is near my husband's side of the bed, I was afraid that he would catch the branches as he passed by. I am happy to report that with the branches turned inward that is not a problem and my horses even fit under the branches too. The only drawback is that this makes it more awkward to remove the roof, but I can just easily swivel the branches out of the way when I want to do that.

[patfan]

We have the tree house.We bought it in January.My DD is 10 and will be 11 soon.It get's allot of play.She LOVES it.I think it is one of her (and my)favorite AG things.It also looks great displayed when not being played with.I don't think they will ever make a tree house again.I am glad we have it.

[scrapperbug2002]

I just bought mine this month and it's AMAZING! Now, I'm 26 and I've come home from work every day to "play" with mine...

[kennedynkailey]

We LOVE the treehouse. DD got is two years ago from Santa! It is by far the most favorite large AG item in our house!!! Well worth every cent!

[agmommy]

My DD has this and LOVES it. It is a main attraction when she has friends over. Even though they are getting older they all love this piece. I have 3 & 6yr old nieces who love playing with this as well. It is adorable in her room and she decorates it for each season. I know your 5 yr old would enjoy this for many years.

[Wickfield]

Jan 9, 2016 11:20:23 GMT -5 matildasmom said:

For those of you who own this treehouse, would Kit's desk fit in there? I have the chance to purchase one locally, and would only use it if I can make it into a little room for Kit, with her desk, chair, some accessories. Thanks!

Oct 21, 2009 9:19:48 GMT -5 ksfbb said:

I havve this and YES, both my dds have gotten MUCH play time out of this. It will hold Kit's desk and chair quite nicely...
With the desk in there, Kit could be in there as well and Ruthie could stand on the porch.