If you have a spare room in your home and little ones running around the house, you’ll know just how handy a dedicated play space can be. It keeps rogue toys from making their way under your feet, gives your children their own special space to play and enjoy their toys, and allows you to keep the rest of the home fairly tidy and mess-free the majority of the time. If a spare room isn’t available, there are still options to make this design project happen in your home! Just use these ideas to get started.
The easiest way to begin approaching the task is to designate a space for everything. When designing your child’s playroom, you may want to consider dividing the space up into separate specific areas. For example, you can have an area for a particular type of toys that they enjoy, like trains, cars, or dolls, which makes it easier to divide and pack all of those themed toys into a box or shelf in that corner. Dedicate a particular corner to snack and lunch time – you can buy kids chair and table sets that work perfectly for small spaces and give your little ones a spot of their own to munch on snacks between play sessions.
This table area can double as a colouring or activity spot once the food is cleared away. If you follow the Montessori style of learning for your children, you may want to divide the room up into separate play and educational activites so they can move around as they please; learning and growing as they play. The activities and toys you choose will, of course, be age-appropriate, but could include one area for block play or lego, one for numbers and counting, and another where their favourite books are stacked neatly in a bookshelf so you can sit with them for some quiet storytime before their nap in the afternoon.
Decorate wisely. One of the many frustrating and wonderful things about kids is how quickly they grow and change, and how their tastes change as they do. For this reason, covering your child’s playroom in car-themed decorations and wall murals may seem like a great idea when they’re two, but could feel less in sync with what they enjoy as they grow. Keep the decor simple and easily adaptable to avoid this problem. Another great trick is to use sticker decals as a temporary decoration solution – they can be stuck on and then peeled off as your child develops a new obsession.
Consider comfort at all times. The playroom is all about feeling good and having fun, so make sure you incorporate soft, colourful rugs, fun lighting, and a colour scheme that encourages a playful, fun atmosphere. This is especially important when your children are still small or crawling – a hard wood floor may look chic, but it’s just not practical when it comes to this sort of space.
Storage solutions are key. Above all else, you’ll want to consider smart storage when decorating a playroom, especially if your child has a ton of toys and you’re living in a relatively cramped space. Opt for multifunctional furnishings like benches that come with drawers underneath or easy-stacking boxes that look cute as well as providing an easy toy storage space.
