We talk about real houses a lot here on Cookie, but what about tree houses? They're so much cooler, after all! Here are some lucky children's backyard retreats...

"Back in 1991, my friend and I built this tree house. It's still hanging on in my parents' backyard. We built in drawers and two Volkswagen bus bucket seats. We ran an electrical cord up there, too. My mom thought it an eyesore, probably for good reason. But what about the cool factor?!" -- Randall, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (now living in Japan)

Shauna and her husband have this amazing tree house and swing in their Seattle backyard. They also just had a baby girl, Lucy. Congratulations!

"I built 'The Fort' for my daughter, 7, and twin sons, 4. My wife and I are both architects, and we worked on the form for a year before starting to build. It's up on posts so that it feels like it's in a tree. The kids love playing house in it, and their friends' reactions are quite spectacular. One girl's mother remarked, 'Wow, your kids' treehouse has a better view than our home does.'" -- Fernand, Shoreline, Washington

"This tree house, in Oak Brook, Illinois, belongs to my aunt and little cousins. The room is 8' by 10', and there's a trap door for an entrance." -- Luca, Chicago.

"When I bought this house, the tree house was certainly a selling point for my kids, Peter, 10 and Grace, 7. One afternoon, their babysitter helped them make water balloons, and I suggested that we go play in the backyard. Pop. Splash! It was a good time." -- Jeff, North Carolina

"Our son and daughter love the treehouse at Grammy and Gramp's house in Ohio--especially since it's wired for electricity. They look forward to spending the days there." -- Jonathan and Lacey, Austin, Texas

Feeling inspired? Read about tree house hotels and see our slideshow of professionally designed tree houses (impressive!).