6 Ways to Make Your Playroom Enjoyable for You and Your Kids

When you are a child, your world is small. You only have school, home, and anywhere else your parents decide to bring you. The world has been made even smaller as of late and many children are forced to live their formative years isolated from the world. So, what can parents do to make this small world a little better and more enjoyable? 

Creating a space in your home specifically designed for your children helps them recognize that certain activities belong to certain areas of the house. This can also give them a sense that their home is bigger than it is. It makes them more productive since it’s easier to get into a creative mindset as the brain associates places with different tasks like one place with work and another place with play. Most importantly, it gives them a place where they can learn better and express themselves more freely.

It is important to have children feel like they have a space that belongs to them. Since the room belongs to them, it is also their duty to keep it clean and organized. It’s easier to motivate children to clean up somewhere that is theirs as opposed to a space that belongs to someone else. You can make them feel the ownership in many ways. You can put up your children’s names or initials on the wall. You can hang up their pictures. You can have frame their artwork and put it on display. Use these visual cues to reinforce their own sense of responsibility for that specific room. Involve them in this process so they know that you trust them to make decisions because you trust them with the space you are giving them.

Establish rules that your children can follow. Everything has to have a place. Purchase boxes or containers and label them, so it’s easier for your children to categorize their things. Divide the room into specific areas according to the activities they can do in them. Allow your kids to sweep, mop, and wipe down their own messes. To be able to do this, you must make the cleaning supplies accessible to them. Of course, you should keep them away from harsh chemicals, but a broom never hurt anyone.

Create a corner or a storage area for all the cleaning supplies they may need. Some essentials are a broom, a mop, a rag, and a spray bottle of water and soap. Big bonus points if these tools are sized down specifically for their convenience. If your children still enjoy playing pretend restaurant, pretend grocery, why wouldn’t they enjoy “pretend” cleaning? This can also develop their sense of caution because if they are careless and accidentally spill on the rug, they will have to be the ones to wipe it down. Just make sure you give them a kid-friendly rug that’s resistant to stains. Plus, cleaning is an essential skill both boys and girls will need when they grow older so they’re ahead of the game!

3- Encourage space for creativity

Designate a corner or a table for all their creative activities. Hone your children’s creativity by providing art supplies for them and organizing the supplies so that they’re easy to reach and easy to find. Help them discover what they’re good at and allow them to practice different creative skills. Art supplies aren’t just limited to crayons. They might want to try using modelling clay or try making origami. Once they’re done, a good system of organization will make it easier for them to put things back and find it again for the next time. 

4- Create comfortable areas for low energy activities

All children are unique and have different interests and levels on energy. While some may like to do things like running around and expressing their physicality, others may just want to sit and play. Having a comfortable spot with a soft rug and a bookshelf full of good children’s books can be a paradise for some kids. Create a space where your child can enjoy quiet time.

Additionally, your child might want to take a short nap in between activities, then jump right back in once their rest finishes. Some kids refuse to take naps in the middle of the day even if they need it. One of the reasons is that they don’t want to miss out the fun the rest of the day offers and they associate their own beds with the end of the day. Giving them a space to do this in their activity room encourages resting when they need it and makes them feel like they don’t miss out.

5- Dedicate a space for their daily gadget time

Technology has been both praised and demonized and rightfully so. It is a wonderful tool that can help your children learn. It’s great for keeping in touch with far away relatives such as their grandparents. It’s impossible to avoid needing to know how to use technology because it is and will always be an essential skill. Therefore, parents cannot forbid it from their homes. However, it also presents many dangers and exposure to things they shouldn’t see/know until they are much older. How does a modern parent find a balance between these two opposite points?

Dedicating a time and place for gadget usage of small children can help. Allowing them to use their iPads or computers only in a common area of the house will help you trace what they are doing online. This also creates the mentality that although gadgets are fun and useful, your kids do not need to use them in every aspect of their lives. These rules may not be applicable to older kids who have online school and want to keep in touch with their friends. However, for young kids, creating a space in their playroom where they can use gadgets also helps you monitor and limit how much time they spend in front of a screen. This way, they do not develop a dependence on screens for stimulation.

6- Make the room parent-friendly

One thing that your child will appreciate more than a beautiful playroom and all the latest toys and gadgets is your presence. Make sure you design the room in such a way that you can participate in playtime at any time. If you plan on having chairs and tables in the room, make sure they’re sturdy enough to support your weight (though you may have to make compromises when it comes to height).

When it comes to the design of the room, cater to both your own tastes and your child’s needs. You would want to spend more time in that room when it’s styled according to your own design preferences. There are ways to create a fun, colorful, child-friendly room that is still pleasing to the eyes. That being said, it’s ultimately about creating beautiful memories with your children inside your home despite all the troubles of the world outside.