Children need a place to play that they can call their own. As they develop and grow, their needs change. That might mean more space to be active, or a cozy corner where they can snuggle down with a book when they need some quiet time. You know your kids best, but there are some tried and tested ways to make a gorgeous and functional playroom that’s easily adaptable as your child gets older.
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Movable Furniture
Your bigger pieces of furniture like chairs and sofas can be adjustable or moveable to provide the right amount of space for your growing child. Try a modular sofa that allows you to fit it to the shape and size of the room, rather than the room having to fit around it. Always make sure you purchase a sofa that you know will fit through the bedroom or playroom door! Modular sofas actually help with this, as they are often transported in easy to fit together pieces. With two, three, four or more seats, a modular sofa is the perfect chill spot for any playroom.
Avoid Hoarding
Your child will always tell you that they love all their toys and can’t bear to be without any of them. However, when you’re designing a playroom, you have to prioritize space for the things they actually play with. That means either encouraging your child to pass toys down to younger siblings or other relatives, donating toys or, at the very least, putting them in storage. Giving up old toys can be a positive experience, especially if you talk about the wonderful life the toy will have with a new child—or how much space there will be for new toys!
Storage Can be Fun
For the toys and games that are staying, you need ways to keep them neat but accessible. Colorful block shelving is a great solution. Look out for heavy set shelves that can’t be knocked or dragged over, that can often attach to a wall for extra safety and security. These block-style shelves allow you to slide in boxes or plastic tubs to allow easy access to favorite playthings. A single big box of toy cars that can easily slide away encourages children to keep their space tidy, and avoids toys getting broken—or people getting injured! Other simple ways to keep a playroom tidy include over door hangers for hoodies, under-bed storage boxes for playrooms that are also bedrooms, and stacking boxes that fit inside each other when not in use.
Keep Kids Creative
Kids love all kinds of arts and crafts, but did you know that art helps children regulate their emotions? That’s why it’s important to create a space in any kids’ playroom where they can sit and explore their innate artistic talent! For small spaces, you could install a fold-out desk that packs neatly against the wall when not in use. This allows children to control what happens in their space—jumping and dancing when they’re full of energy, or quiet concentration when they’re drawing or crafting.
In a larger playroom, a permanent desk can still be economical on space when it incorporates built-in storage. Think vertical shelving which takes up a tiny amount of desk space but allows kids to store their masterpieces and pots of pens or boxes of paints. You could even buy a desk or unit in plain, untreated wood and turn it into decorating project to do with your kids. Think about painting one side of the desk in chalkboard paint for a part of their room they can safely redecorate every day.
Prepare for Change
Be prepared for your child suddenly growing out of their favorite obsession! It can be more than a little frustrating to have spent hundreds of dollars and a whole week creating a video game-themed room, only for the child to announce a month later that they now hate the game! Try not to commit to particular franchises and instead, think about favorite colors, themes, or even geometric patterns that aren’t going to be out of favor as your child grows. Inevitably, they’ll want some changes as they get older, but you can minimize how often and how dramatically you have to redecorate with a little forward planning.
As well as clever furniture solutions like modular sofas and creative storage, the important thing is to make sure your child or children know this is their space where they can have fun and express themselves. Get them involved in the design process. Talk about paint colors, what type of shelves and storage they might like, and what toys they absolutely have to have in there. As well as helping design a playroom your kids will love, you’re much more likely to get the kids’ long-term approval if they know they helped design the space.
Above all, the key point for any playroom is to make sure they have space to play, develop, and be happy!