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Recently I re-did the kids playroom, striving for a cozy & inviting place that encourages imagination play. If you don’t have a dedicated playroom, no problem! You can use these same tips for a corner in any room that allows for safe independent play.
1. Have a small area that provides privacy. This can be play teepee, a canopy, fort, or even a draped curtain. This little area can be a special place for them to retreat to. We have this teepee which has an adorable little window, and I love pom pom detail. My children love to read, and perform all sorts of imagination play in this teepee. Most recently it has been a coffee shop, ice cream stand and a restaurant!
2. Rugs make any room more cozy, I love our Lorena Canals rug. All of their rugs are machine washable, handmade with 100% natural cotton, eco-friendly, and use natural dyes. I haven’t come across a more perfect option for a playroom rug, and I know that it would go great in their rooms as well! The kids love how soft it is, and I love how easy the care and cleaning are. This rug adds a great pop of color to the room, and the tassels are such an adorable accent. Be sure to check out Lorena Canals whole line as they also carry decor, baskets, blankets, and more!
3. Include a small table and chair set. It is great for coloring, tea parties, writing, workbooks, reading you name it! I love keeping our set by the windows with all the natural light! This table and chairs set is amazing, the kids love it, and the quality is outstanding. I know they will cherish it for year to come!
4. Storage, storage, storage! Its hard to keep a playroom clean and organized, if someone tells you there’s always is clean, they are not telling the truth, ha! I try to keep certain toys together, and make sure everything has a place. Not everything always gets put back to its exact spot, but this is okay. It is a playroom after all!
Our couch is awesome, underneath we store all the puzzles, a car carpets, and even play golf clubs! We also have this ottoman which has great storing stuffed animals, blankets etc. The slip covers for both the sectional and ottoman come off and are machine washable (bonus, you can purchase the covers on prime)! I love our bookshelf, it is super affordable and has great storage! I use metal baskets such as these to organize musical instruments, cars, balls etc. Its nice for them to have items visible to find them, and to know where to put them back. I have an amazing “catch-all” trunk which I mainly store toys that they are still into but off rotation (I rotate toys to keep them exciting). Keeping these backpacks in the playroom makes it convenient to grab a few books/toys if we are going somewhere! I love how Hudson Tailor gives a portion of your purchase back to the study and research of neuroblastoma.
5. This last tip is more for parents. I recently put this nest camera in the playroom. it has been a lifesaver. Although my kids play super well together, sometimes they like to do their own thing and be in different rooms. I can easily pull up the camera on my phone, or with the help of Google Chromecast & Google home I can view it on a tv as well! It’s a great option to keep an eye on the littles if one is in there, but the other doesn’t want to be.
Other items we have in the play room that we love:
This play kitchen. There isn’t a day where someone does not touch it.
This wooden world map. Drew got this for me as a five year wedding anniversary gift. I absolutely adore it, and love having it in a place where we spend a lot of time. We have conversations with the kids of where we have been, and where we would like to bring them in the future.
My littles have always been great at independent play, hopefully these tips encourage yours to love it as well. Although independent play is great, don’t forget they love when you jump right in to! They laundry and dishes can wait, enjoy this precious time while you can!
xoxo,
Jenny