House Update: The Playroom

Since we moved in in July we have been chipping away at small projects. We have a few rooms that are 50% finished but nothing that is ready for a true “before and after” here on the blog. Ironically the only room that is ready for its debut is the playroom. The walls still need a fresh coat of paint but I think you will see from the pictures below that it is a completely transformed space.

For many years the room was used as a storage space/music room for the older children who lived here. Over time I think some gym equipment was thrown in there and then pushed to the side as well. After a major afternoon of tossing things in the dumpster it was clear that this space would be perfect for the playroom since kids would have easy access to the outside if they wanted to transition from bikes to board games. The natural light is also such a bonus to have in the room where kids are clocking some major hours. I like having a basement playroom because it means the kids can really make noise when they play without worrying about waking the baby or disturbing the resting parents. (Yes, I did just type that. Sometimes mama needs some quiet time…)

I knew this was not a job that my husband and I could do alone so in early August I called the fabulous women of Smart Playrooms and they came right over to assess the space. I was thrilled that they once again created a room that is set up much like a classroom. There are separate play spaces for different aged children, and they also divided the room into distinct “types of play”. We once again have a corner that is dedicated to arts and crafting, an area for make-believe play, one section for manipulatives, and a small section for music too. It’s now a space that really invites children young and old in to spend some time and have fun.

They set the make-believe area up to look like a restaurant on one side and a nursery on the other.

Bins are all labeled with pictures and words so that older children can work on reading while younger children can also identify what is inside from the images.

My baby will eventually have trains on this table but for now it’s a great place for him to practice cruising and standing up as he tries new toys.

The musical instrument area is used by the baby and the big girls.

Smart Playrooms recommended laminate floors because they are damage-proof and will allow the kids to make a mess without feeling anxious about spills.

Smart Playrooms knew this smaller storage room was just the place to build a dollhouse room. It has a door that shuts so that our baby isn’t tempted to play with all these small toys. Genius!

This one was my idea. My girls love magnetic sand. I however do not like the mess made when using it. This extra large storage bin is perfect because it contains the sand and we just throw the top on it and store it out of reach of the children when it’s not in use.

**Smart Playrooms has also started a new blog and it is chock full of great ideas about parenting and education. You can find it here. And for those of you who really have the time and energy to tackle a project like this on your own, Smart Playrooms has created a product that might help you get started. It’s called “Playroom in a Box“. You send them the specs of your room and for a fee they remotely create a layout for the room while sending you links and images so you can create a great play space on your own. It’s a great idea for my “out of town” readers.