Playrooms are both a blessing and a curse in a lot of ways. It’s a blessing to have a home big enough to have space designated to nothing but entertainment and learning for your children. It can also be a curse. Kids tend to be messy so playrooms can often become Lego and Matchbox death traps. How do you balance these two? You design a playroom that can grow with your kids, keep them entertained, help them learn and inspire creativity…yet is easy for your kids to clean up after themselves in. Sound impossible? It’s not! These five things you can do with your child’s playroom will take it to the next level.
Image courtesy of eren {sea+prairie} at flickr.com (scaled and text added)
Go ahead, draw on the walls!
Worried about your little artist and your clean white walls? Think about a creation station in the playroom! Let them draw on the walls, erase it and then let them start all over again by painting a section (or an entire wall) with chalkboard paint. For a less permanent solution, try setting up a butcher paper station where your kids can dry beautiful art and when it’s time for something new, you can rip it off and start over.
Image source: http://www.architectureartdesigns.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/01/914.jpg
Source: http://www.architectureartdesigns.com/30-fun-chalkboard-paint-ideas-for-kids-room/
Image source: http://cdn.hometalk.com/media/2015/09/09/2980235/diy-mounted-craft-paper-roll-crafts-seasonal-holiday-decor.jpg?size=634×922&nocrop=1
Source: http://www.hometalk.com/10035041/diy-mounted-craft-paper-roll#lb-signup
All the World’s a stage…
Thespians, fashion designers and fashionistas, singers, puppeteers and the like in your home will love having a stage to practice their craft on. A small stage, some curtains and costume storage and you have your own performance art center in your child’s playroom. A perfect corner to create memories to last a lifetime.
Image source: http://cptnrin.smugmug.com/photos/i-Ng57dj3/0/O/i-Ng57dj3.jpg
Source: http://www.houseofturquoise.com/2013/01/liz-carroll-interiors.html
Image source: http://diy.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/diy/fullset/2013/9/11/0/DP_Bubier-girls-dressup-room_s3x4.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.1288.jpeg
Source: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/make-and-decorate/decorating/decorating-ideas-for-fun-playrooms-and-kids-bedrooms-pictures
Get Smart
The best part about learning is when it feels like play. If you set up your playroom to promote learning, that’s what it will always feel like. As a child my playroom was half toys and half books with my own personal little reading nook that I learned to love reading in. Creating a similar environment for your child could be storing toys alphabetically, creating a reading nook, or putting up map wallpaper. Your best option is to take something your child is passionate about and run with it!
Image source: http://diy.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/diy/fullset/2013/9/3/0/DP_Fougerousse-babys-room-Tree-Bookcase_h.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.1208.jpeg
Source: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/make-and-decorate/decorating/decorating-ideas-for-fun-playrooms-and-kids-bedrooms-pictures
Image source: http://www.herebig.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/02/marvelous-world-map-wallpaper-and-metal-rocking-chair-with-cushion-near-wooden-table-also-green-rug-on-laminate-flooring-in-kids-bedroom.jpg
Source: http://www.herebig.com/winsome-childrens-wall-maps-as-room-decoration-and-learning-tools/
The Hideaway
The hideaway is a perfect addition to any playroom. I affectionately call them Blanket Forts 2.0! We loved them as children and now our children are getting to hide away in their own little space in the world for creativity, games, and naps. With these ideas they get really cool places to hide away in! Consider adding a loft hideaway if the space permits or even a “secret room” by converting a closet or small room and putting a bookcase as a door. For less permanent solutions, consider the trendy teepee as a perfect hideaway for your little ones.
Image source: http://modern-eve.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/09/playrooms-tipi-teepee-crossdesign.jpg
Source: http://modern-eve.com/trends/trend-spotted-teepee-play-tents/
Image source: http://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/5d216ccc0d51a937_8-2859/traditional-closet.jpg
Source: http://www.houzz.com/photos/121836/Hideaway-Bookcase-Passage-traditional-closet-grand-rapids
Don’t Agonize, Organize
The worry of mess is probably one of the biggest deciding factors in choosing between a playroom and a home office for that bonus room. If you start the organization from the beginning, you can create a system that works for you and your children that will keep the mess to a minimum. Storage boxes for toys makes them easy to find and put away. And for the tiny humans that love their stuffed animals, consider creating a zoo for them with wood and bungee cords. It looks cute and will keep the playroom from looking like someone liberated the animals at a circus!
Image source: http://www.veetje.be//wp-content/uploads/2011/07/De-zoo.jpg
Source: http://www.veetje.be/the-zoo/
Image source: http://andreasnotebook.com//wp-content/uploads/2014/04/1.24.jpg
Source: http://andreasnotebook.com/creative-toy-storage-ideas/
Your kids won’t be kids for long. Give them the space to learn, grow and be creative in the perfect room you dreamed of as a kid! This room may seem like something worth worrying about in certain ways. But the memories your kids will make and the life skills they will build through the design and activities in this room will make every second worth it. Enjoy it with them… you can play too!
Article written by Tabbie Stark, also a writer for homeyou.com, a company that connects homeowners to reliable, affordable and professional contractors for their home improvement projects. Check for more on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
Image courtesy of eren {sea+prairie} at flickr.com (scaled, cropped and text added)
