While many parents are struggling to find the space for their children learn during the pandemic, one family in Bourne, Massachusetts, has found the perfect solution in its backyard.
Due to the coronavirus, the Wilcox family decided to branch out and try home schooling for the year. In order to have a place to teach their 5-year-old Wyatt and 7-year-old Wynnie, they came up with the idea to turn their treehouse into a schoolhouse temporarily.
"My wife was like, 'We will use the treehouse,' and of course, I'm like, 'Treehouse? How about a treeschool?'" dad Colin Wilcox said.
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Rooted in creativity, their dad started building it five years ago just for fun, but now that they use it for school, there is a ladder that leads to a reading nook, and even a place for time out. Behind every corner, there is a surprise, from hidden rooms to fold-down desks.
The Wilcox family considers it magical.
"In these times of technology and social media, nobody is really on Planet Earth. I built this to try and get people to come down to Earth, to ground them," Colin Wilcox said.
Their mom, Erin Wilcox, is now their teacher, and their dog, Peanut, is their class pet. Every day, they start by ringing the school bell and saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
"I think those kind of things do help the kids have some normalcy, and that is so important right now," she said.
As much as they enjoy having class in the treehouse, the Wilcox kids look forward to returning to school so they can see their friends. But at a time when it feels like the world has stopped, in the treehouse, there is always more to learn and room to grow.
"It's one of those once-in-a-lifetime things," Colin Wilcox said. "People will be like, 'Where did you go to school in second grade?' and they will say, 'A treehouse.'"
