Every couple of years, we look forward to the Dreams Happen Gala and Playhouse Auction and now it’s just around the corner, on June 6. Treat yourself to a fun and elegant evening benefitting a good cause; click here to purchase tickets. Make sure you bring your checkbook because you might go…
On this Mother’s Day week, we’d like to take a moment to recognize all the amazing moms out there. And though we don’t make tree houses for parents (and maybe we should?!), we think our work has something in it for moms, too. That snack time the little ones spent…
Read MoreSaturday’s Magical Bridge Grand Opening was everything we could have hoped for: sunny skies, musical acts, happy families and most importantly, children of all abilities playing together! Our stage served as a focal point for the entertainment as the audience gathered beneath a large, majestic tree. Above the stage in the…
We’ve been part of the Magical Bridge project for the last five years and we’re thrilled that it’s now in the final stages of construction! Join us on April 18 for the Grand Opening of this fun, inclusive, and gorgeous playground. Here, the two-story playhouse and theater is getting some…
Read More“Welcome to tea time! Would you like chamomile or mint? I’ve whipped up some tasty treats in my colorful kitchen.” Whether installed in an adorable cottage or up in a tree house, tables and chairs enhance children’s play. Some days, knights gather around the table to plot…
Read MoreLooking as fresh as a new box of crayons, these colorful posts are lined up in our studio ready to be installed on Ava’s Bridge in the Magical Bridge Playground. Located in Palo Alto, California, and tentatively slated to open to the public on March 21, 2015, the Magical Bridge…
Read MoreWe couldn’t fit all the love into one post, so here’s one more on hearts. They’re whimsical, playful and welcoming, just like Barbara. Barbara gives a classic log cabin her own flair with heart shutters and a pirate flag. Valentine’s Fort complete with a pink tower, swings and rope climbing…
Read MoreTucked in a corner like a country cottage, this bike garage is an attractive outdoor storage solution. The lush Los Angeles backyard is also home to a Barbara Butler play structure in the same color palette. Doesn’t the yard look great without bikes strewn about ready to trip someone? There’s…
Is that a play house or the world’s prettiest piece of gym equipment? Where a child sees fun and adventure, many health experts see a path to lifelong physical fitness. And where there are active, moving kids, there is less likelihood of childhood obesity, diabetes, asthma and other ailments. Growing…
Happy 2015! Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions yet? If you’re stumped, why not take a cue from these happy children? Because if kids made resolutions, they would look like this: From the whole Barbara Butler crew, here’s to a healthy and…
Read MoreWho needs stairs when you’ve got a two-story tube slide leading down to the lobby? That’s what a Silicon Valley internet company was thinking when they gave us a call. (Of course, they actually DO have stairs; they’re just not as fast!) Barbara created a design for an adult slide…
Read MoreWe love hearing from delighted clients! Here are a couple of testimonials that put a smile on our faces. From Erin (client): We’d love to “report in” on the success of the fort. We are logging several hours of play in it each day. Today there were 7 neighborhood kids…
Read MoreChildren of all abilities will soon have a chance to play in the country’s first fully accessible playground, Palo Alto’s Magical Bridge. To celebrate, we hosted a Studio Tour for the team where we displayed the second story of the playhouse and the stage.
When Olenka Villareal discovered that her daughter was having developmental challenges, she was dismayed with the state of their local Palo Alto, CA, parks. Though well-meaning, the playgrounds weren’t truly accessible to her daughter. And so began her crusade to create Magical Bridge, a playground for all abilities. We are…
Read MoreThese Top Secret Safes might not fit into a stocking, but these colorful, artisan safes are perfect for securing pirate’s gold or a secret map to ancient ruins. So when Cincinnati Parent, Indy’s Child Magazine, and Dayton Parent contacted us about their upcoming Holiday Giveaway, we couldn’t resist whipping up a few to donate. They were a…
Read MoreInverness Treefort Inverness, California I am invited to a small wild overgrown yard to come up with ideas for a treefort for the kids. The family recently bought the property and the kids think the yard as-is is too dark, too spidery, too unfriendly so my plan is to thin it…
Read MoreIn today’s Wall Street Journal, The Dragon Castle Theater was featured. Check out the WSJ article The Fully Loaded Mini MansionsThe video’s fun to watch!More information and photos on our website at the Dragon Castle Theater – be sure to click on the “slideshow” for more photos.
We love the colors on this Hideaway Fort so much that we had to share the staining process with you. Here’s Rudi, our master stainer, mixing the colors and then applying the stain to the modular pieces as they come over from the building bay: It all starts with the…
Read MoreWhen Mitch Sr. asked Barbara if she had any redwood scrapes to donate to his son’s Boy Scout Troop, the answer was YES! The troop was working on a community garden service project (for badges) at Stanton Elementary in Castro Valley, making 10 informative signs. The teacher who runs the…
Read MoreThis view from Barbara’s “tree house” office window shows the progress being made on this modern, abstract castle design
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