Setting Up A Playroom: The Dilemma
One of your kids is into dress-up, the other a LEGO fanatic. One needs a home for their extensive stuffed animal collection, and the other wants a place to set up their Hot Wheels racetrack.
Sound familiar? If your family’s like most, your kids probably have their own interests—and that can cause some friction when you’re setting up a playroom. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to accommodate all ages. You just need to be a little bit thoughtful about your decor. Here’s what to keep in mind when you’re building a playroom for kids at opposite ends of the school-age spectrum.
Keep Play Tables Age-Appropriate
No great play room is complete without a table and chairs, where kids can work on projects, crafts, and drawings, or just sit down to play. And while there are plenty of darling play tables available for purchase, these can be expensive and may seem babyish to bigger kids. Instead, try a repurposed coffee table and bean bag chairs for a seating space that will grow up with your kids.
Include a Reading Nook
As kids age out of picture books and start to read on their own, they need a cozy place to settle in with a good book. This IKEA-hacked shelving unit bench offers the perfect reading nook—and even has a place to store books and toys when they’re not being used!
Use Carpet Tiles to Create a Look That’s Fun and Functional
Two times the kids means twice the spills! Carpet tiles, such as those available from FLOR, have a modern look that will probably suit your big kid’s aesthetic, but which allow you to replace part of the rug in the event of a spill or accident.
Paint the Walls an Age-Neutral Color
White walls have a clean, innocent appeal, but don’t feel as childish as younger pastels. If you go with white, you can pull in color with pillows, lamps, and other accents to give your playroom a fun-but-not-too-whimsical feel. Not into white? Try emerald green, orange, or slate gray—all of which have a quirky and modern edge.
Use Pegboard Displays for Versatile Storage
Pegboard accessories are about as versatile as you can get—and they add tons of storage for blocks, balls, and sports equipment. You name it, a pegboard holder can probably handle it! The thing I like the most about these boards is that beyond being super useful, they have a cute, sweet feel that makes them perfect for a children’s playroom. Plus, when your kids get older, you can just repaint them and stick them in the garage. Reuse win!
Set Up a Toy Rotation
Too many toys scattered around can definitely make a playroom look messy. Instead of hunting around for bins and buckets to store excess play equipment, try creating a “toy rotation” with your younger kids. Since our littlest ones probably haven’t quite learned to pick up after themselves yet, giving them a more limited selection of toys will keep the mess in check. And it will make older toys seem brand-new when it’s time to rotate!
Setting Up a Playroom: The Solution
No matter the ages of your children or the size of the space you’re working with, there are always ways to incorporate your children’s interests when setting up a playroom. With a little work and some creativity, you can turn any space into a versatile and fun place for your children to spend their time.
What’s that silence I hear? Why, it’s just the sound of two contented kids playing happily!
