Are you tired of having all of your kids’ toys all over the house? Have you decided to convert one of the spaces in your home into a playroom? Playrooms are a great solution for keeping a little order in the house, while still letting your kids explore their creativity and independence.
Deciding on what your playroom needs can be tricky. Here are 10 playroom ideas that your kids will love!
1. Pick A Theme
Playrooms are a place for imagination, and that includes their decor. You can decorate your playroom a little differently than the rest of your house. After all, it is for the kids!
Picking a theme for the playroom can help you streamline your decorating. Kids also love themes. Themes your little one may love are jungles, underwater scenes, the circus, and superheroes.
2. Embrace Color
If theming isn’t your thing, or you have kids that have interests that are very different from each other, give your room pops of color. Kids are often drawn to bright, bold colors. You can let them help in the process of choosing colors for the room. Do they have a favorite color? You can use those colors to make the room feel like they have ownership of it.
As we know, our kids grow up (a little too quickly, if you ask us!) and you may not want to commit to painting the walls their favorite colors, like hot pink or red. That’s okay!
You can keep the walls a more neutral color, white or a soft gray, and use the pops of colors as accents. Kids will love that their signature color has been used to make the room a fun place to play.
3. Decorate With Kids’ Art
Another way to make your kids feel right at home in their playroom is by using their own art to decorate the room. Put some of your favorite art pieces in frames around the room or create a collage wall with family pictures and their art. They are sure to be proud of their contribution to the room.
To deter them from wanting to constantly change the picture in the frames or taping their art to the wall, have an area where they can display their art. There are so many different ways you can create this area for them.
You can use wire and clips, fasten clothespins to a yardstick so their art hangs on the wall, or use magnetic or cork boards. If using magnets or pins in a corkboard, make sure your kids are well past the stage of putting things in their mouths.
4. Include A Crafting Station
Where will they make all of the art for their very own art gallery? In their crafting station, of course! Include a corner of the room that’s full of all sorts of fun craft supplies, popsicle sticks, paper, pom poms, pipe cleaners, and buttons. Of course, don’t forget the basics like crayons, colored pencils, markers, glue, and scissors.
Organize your craft area in a way that’s easily maintained by kids. Putting a mat under the craft table is also helpful for effortless cleanup. There may be things like paint and glitter that they still need to ask permission for, but giving them the ability to create when they feel inspired can really help their creativity shine.
5. Make A Playground Inside
No matter where you live, there are days when the weather isn’t ideal for playing outside. These days, your playroom can bring the outside fun inside! After all, kids need to get all that energy out somehow. Including slides, swings, and rock walls in your room is next-level fun!
Swings and slides for indoor use come in all different options. There are big tube slides you can install on a second-floor level, if you have the space to do that, and there are also smaller slides that are perfect for smaller kids. The same goes for swings.
You can get a more permanent swing option that attaches to the ceiling, or there are other options that use tension to hook on to the door frame and can be removed when the kids are finished.
Rock walls may not be the first thing you think of when you think about the playroom in your house, but they are becoming quite popular, and for good reason. Rock climbing walls are shown to improve muscle strength and endurance. Rock climbing is also a good bone-strengthening exercise but just make sure you follow all safety precautions when building and using the wall
6. Create A Magical Entrance
Do you remember being a kid and going places that had a special entrance for kids only? A small door next to a bigger door that grownups couldn’t fit into? It was like a magical entrance.
How fun to make that same magical door for your kids! There are a ton of DIY options for a functional small door. You can create a smaller door within the larger door to the room.
Another enchanting option is a Dutch door. These are the doors that split horizontally. You can open just the top portion of the door while the bottom half stays closed. Dutch doors are especially helpful if you have a little crawler on your hands. You can keep them safely in the playroom while you are giving your big kid some extra attention too.
7. Build A Fort
If your kids beg you to let them use all of the couch cushions and every single blanket in the house to make a fort, you may want to give them supplies in their playroom for them to make epic forts, while your couch stays intact.
Supplies can include blankets, pillows, string, clothespins, and then the chairs and tables in the room. Letting kids create their own forts fosters their creativity, problem-solving skills, and gives their imagination the freedom to create their own made-up world.
If you aren’t one for big messes (let’s be honest, a kid-made fort looks like a giant mess on the outside) then you can also opt for a premade fort, like a tent. There are a lot of fun options out there. A tent can add an awesome focal point to your playroom.
8. Dress Up Corner
A lot of decisions get made for kids every day. They don’t get much say in what they eat, where they go to school, when the babysitter comes over, or even when they get to go to sleep. One area where you can let them have a little freedom is in what they wear.
Sure, if they go to a school that requires a uniform, or if you are going somewhere nice where you have to pick their clothes, they don’t have much choice, but adding a dress-up corner to the room can give them a little freedom in their day.
Playing dress-up gives kids independence and control over a small part of their lives. What may seem small to us, is actually huge for them. You can fill your dress-up corner with old costumes, scarves, hats, capes, wings, purses, bags, swords, and shields.
9. Build A Stage
Is your child a natural performer? Build them a stage in the corner of the room! You can even add curtains to make them feel like they are on their very own Broadway stage. Your kids can sing, dance, or act out their own stories. Don’t be afraid to get up there and put on a show with them!
If you have the space, add a karaoke machine near the stage. They can use the mic to sing, tell jokes, or act out their play. Endless family memories can be made in this area of the room.
10. Create A Cozy Reading Corner
Sometimes, all kids need is a little time to sit back and unwind with a great book, especially after a long day of running around. Creating an area for them that is cozy may help them relax and recharge.
You may have a small library of books in this corner, but they can also use the Caribu app. There are tons of books in the Caribu app for all ages. The best part? Kids can call up their grandma and grandpa and read a story with them over a video-chat.
Conclusion
Creating a playroom for your kids can be an exciting process. Let your kids’ personalities help guide you when decorating the playroom. Playrooms should be all about creative play, independence, and imagination!
At Caribu, we love seeing kids’ personalities and creativity shine, and so do their loved ones. When your little one decides to put on a play, finishes their masterpiece, or finally figures out how to climb the rock wall, call up the family with a Caribu video-call and include them in the fun!
Sources:
Ways to Get and Stay Organized with Kids Around — Better Kid Care | Penn State Extension
Rock Climbing for Promoting Physical Activity in Youth | NCBI
So your child wants to be a superhero – why not let them dress like one? | MSU Extension