This article was written by a pediatric occupational therapist, which is a healthcare specialty that helps kids hit their developmental milestones and overcome barriers to learning and life’s range of activities. All content is for educational and entertainment purposes ONLY. Consult your doctor or healthcare team with any medical questions or concerns.
Active Play Zone
The whole point of a playroom is PLAY! If you’re a savvy parent, you’ll carefully curate this play area with items that will help your kids build gross motor skills, get the exercise they need, and have fun playing with their siblings which will help them build their social skills.
Solid furniture choices
There are many different kinds of furniture to choose from for a playroom. Make sure the pieces you choose are durable, comfortable, and right for your child's age and needs.
Storage solutions that are accessible and understandable to kids
Nothing brings down your carefully crafted playroom like a never-ending stream of messes. One of the best ways to stop the flow of clutter and toy chaos is to find better ways to store and organize things.
Consider the idea of rotating playroom themes
Kids are creative, but often need a little extra help with structure to help unleash their best imaginative play! This goes back to the idea that you should organize and store things well. If you don't, you'll quickly end up with a lot of clutter!
Different types of lighting
Parents and children alike can benefit significantly from well-placed lighting. For instance, dim lighting can tell the body it's time to relax and unwind, while stronger artificial and natural lighting might tell the body it's time to wake up and get moving. That's just scratching the surface, though; lighting can be used to make impromptu dance parties more exciting, bring your ceilings to life, and a whole lot more.
Kid-friendly flooring
Did you know that when they learn to walk, children fall hundreds, if not thousands, of times? While it's crucial to prevent serious falls in children, most tumbles help children develop amazing abilities like balance, motor planning, and eventually walking, which is a subset of many other physical and mental abilities. But it sure wouldn't hurt to make those falls a little more comfortable when they're experiencing all these falls! The right flooring will accomplish that.
Calm Down Corner
Most parents understand kids as "energizer bunnies." Right?! Active play has its place, but helping our kids calm their nervous systems is crucial. Kids need help with this. Our environment and little nudges here and there are better than a million pleas to do what you want them to do. Use the body's natural triggers to help children wind down for naps, bedtime, or a break from the day's chaos.
Learning Area
As a parent, one of your main objectives should be making sure your child has a solid educational foundation. The positive effects of a carefully crafted environment on learning are remarkable. Having a regular place to study helps kids focus, keeps them interested in their work, and makes a good connection between learning and doing well.
Reading Corner
This could be part of a learning area or calm-down corner, but you might also choose to create your own reading space for kids if you have the room. Set up bookshelves, comfortable seating, and a desk or table for reading. Keep the area neat and organized to help create an inviting atmosphere that encourages your child to pick up a book any day of the week.
Music Time Spot
Music is a magical way to get your little ones interested and keep things fun for them, whether they're just playing or trying to learn something new. Set aside a space in your playroom just for playing music. With a variety of instruments and other creative tools, a music space can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. It can also be a temporary place where you take things out of storage for "music time" and then put them back when you're done. Those who have more room can set up a musical area in their play area that doesn't need to be put away.
Sensory Fun
The goal of any sensory activity is to stimulate the senses in a unique and entertaining way. When parents and caregivers do this, their children are more likely to feel safe, to have their emotional and physical needs met, and to be able to happily engage in play that is suited to their developmental stage. We've found that sensory tables featuring different materials and properties, such as sand and water, are some of the most entertaining ideas for sensory play.
We hope you enjoyed this article on making your playroom awesome!