diff --git a/xarray/core/treenode.py b/xarray/core/treenode.py
index 84ce392ad32..932cab2fa23 100644
--- a/xarray/core/treenode.py
+++ b/xarray/core/treenode.py
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@
 from pathlib import PurePosixPath
 from typing import (
     TYPE_CHECKING,
+    Any,
     Generic,
     TypeVar,
 )
 
-from xarray.core.utils import Frozen, is_dict_like
+from xarray.core.utils import is_dict_like
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from xarray.core.types import T_DataArray
@@ -44,6 +45,73 @@ def __init__(self, *pathsegments):
 Tree = TypeVar("Tree", bound="TreeNode")
 
 
+class Children(Mapping[str, Tree], Generic[Tree]):
+    """
+    Dictionary-like container for the immediate children of a single DataTree node.
+
+    This collection can be passed directly to the :py:class:`~xarray.DataTree` constructor via its `children` argument.
+    """
+
+    _treenode: Tree
+
+    # TODO add slots?
+    # __slots__ = ("_data",)
+
+    def __init__(self, treenode: Tree):
+        self._treenode = treenode
+
+    @property
+    def _names(self) -> list[str]:
+        return list(self._treenode._children.keys())
+
+    def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[str]:
+        return iter(self._names)
+
+    def __len__(self) -> int:
+        return len(self._names)
+
+    def __contains__(self, key: str) -> bool:
+        return key in self._names
+
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
+        return "\n".join(["Children:"] + [f"    {name}" for name in self._names])
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key: str) -> Tree:
+        return self._treenode._children[key]
+
+    def __delitem__(self, key: str) -> None:
+        if key in self._names:
+            child = self._treenode._children[key]
+            del self._treenode._children[key]
+            child.orphan()
+        else:
+            raise KeyError(key)
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key: str, value: Any) -> None:
+        self.update({key: value})
+
+    def update(self, other: Mapping[str, Tree]) -> None:
+        """Update with other child nodes."""
+
+        # TODO forbid strings with `/` in here?
+
+        if not len(other):
+            return
+
+        children = self._treenode._children.copy()
+        children.update(other)
+        self._treenode.children = children
+
+    def _ipython_key_completions_(self):
+        """Provide method for the key-autocompletions in IPython."""
+        # TODO
+        return [
+            key
+            for key in self._treenode._ipython_key_completions_()
+            if key not in self._treenode.variables
+        ]
+
+
 class TreeNode(Generic[Tree]):
     """
     Base class representing a node of a tree, with methods for traversing and altering the tree.
@@ -160,9 +228,9 @@ def orphan(self) -> None:
         self._set_parent(new_parent=None)
 
     @property
-    def children(self: Tree) -> Mapping[str, Tree]:
+    def children(self: Tree) -> Children[str, Tree]:
         """Child nodes of this node, stored under a mapping via their names."""
-        return Frozen(self._children)
+        return Children(self)
 
     @children.setter
     def children(self: Tree, children: Mapping[str, Tree]) -> None:
diff --git a/xarray/tests/test_treenode.py b/xarray/tests/test_treenode.py
index d9d581cc314..02d478c24de 100644
--- a/xarray/tests/test_treenode.py
+++ b/xarray/tests/test_treenode.py
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from collections.abc import Iterator
+from textwrap import dedent
 from typing import cast
 
 import pytest
 
 from xarray.core.iterators import LevelOrderIter
-from xarray.core.treenode import InvalidTreeError, NamedNode, NodePath, TreeNode
+from xarray.core.treenode import (
+    Children,
+    InvalidTreeError,
+    NamedNode,
+    NodePath,
+    TreeNode,
+)
 
 
 class TestFamilyTree:
@@ -224,6 +231,74 @@ def test_overwrite_child(self):
         assert marys_evil_twin.parent is john
 
 
+class TestChildren:
+    def test_properties(self):
+        sue: TreeNode = TreeNode()
+        mary: TreeNode = TreeNode(children={"Sue": sue})
+        kate: TreeNode = TreeNode()
+        john = TreeNode(children={"Mary": mary, "Kate": kate})
+
+        children = john.children
+        assert isinstance(children, Children)
+
+        # len
+        assert len(children) == 2
+
+        # iter
+        assert list(children) == ["Mary", "Kate"]
+
+        assert john.children["Mary"] is mary
+        assert john.children["Kate"] is kate
+
+        assert "Mary" in john.children
+        assert "Kate" in john.children
+        assert 0 not in john.children
+        assert "foo" not in john.children
+
+        # only immediate children should be accessible
+        assert "sue" not in john.children
+
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+            children["foo"]
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+            children[0]
+
+        # repr
+        expected = dedent(
+            """\
+        Children:
+            Mary
+            Kate"""
+        )
+        actual = repr(children)
+        assert expected == actual
+
+    def test_modify(self):
+        sue: TreeNode = TreeNode()
+        mary: TreeNode = TreeNode(children={"Sue": sue})
+        kate: TreeNode = TreeNode()
+        john = TreeNode(children={"Mary": mary, "Kate": kate})
+
+        children = john.children
+
+        # test assignment
+        ashley: TreeNode = TreeNode()
+        children["Ashley"] = ashley
+        assert john.children["Ashley"] is ashley
+
+        # test deletion
+        del children["Ashley"]
+        assert "Ashley" not in john.children
+
+        # test constructor
+        john2 = TreeNode(children=children)
+        assert john2.children == children
+
+    def test_modify_below_root(self):
+        # TODO test that modifying .children doesn't affect grandparent
+        ...
+
+
 class TestPruning:
     def test_del_child(self):
         john: TreeNode = TreeNode()