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Days With Grey / Kids Playroom; How to Craft the Perfect Space

Kids Playroom; How to Craft the Perfect Space

Storage, Decor, and Toys: Kids Playroom Ideas to Help You Craft the Perfect Space for Your Kids

Looking to reorganize all the parts and pieces into an easy to navigate kids playroom? 

You’ve come to the right place. After years of being a teacher, and now a stay at home to three boys, I had the chance to test and try out playroom organization to craft the perfect space. 

Then, I took pictures and tied all the ideas into one easy to navigate place. Organizing toys and finding toy solutions can have us walking in circles. I am here to help guide you along and eliminate a lot of the how-to along the way.

playroom ideas

I get it.

You spend hours scrolling Pinterest for amazing ideas for playrooms, but always wonder what comes next?

Will your little boy or girl actually spend time PLAYING in that room you so carefully curated and color-coordinated?

I know that as I searched and scrolled, I never found exactly what I wanted, which was a playroom that encourages independent play as I hoped.

Because, here’s the thing. More than a designated space for my children to play, or to store their toys, my three active little boys needed a playroom which allowed them to flourish in their imaginative, creative, and open-ended play.

With my background in early childhood education, I know that the best thing for kids isn’t just space and toys, it’s an environment that fosters true play.

I needed playroom ideas that would allow my three active boys to flourish in a way my educational background knew toddlers and preschoolers needed.

So I got to work creating a timeless space for my children to play complete with simple toy storage solutions and organizational hacks.

RELATED: Curious how I help inspire play? You will love our activity cards.

This playroom guide covers the following:

playroom ideas

Playroom Ideas Need to Actually Encourage Play

In fact, play is one of the most important jobs your child has.

You heard me right!

Everything your child is able to manipulate and touch in the younger years will help them better understand everything they read about in the later years.

You see, we are in such a rush to get little children reading and writing, that we forget to teach them how to think.

We need to dive into play the way we remember doing so as a child. We need to allow children unstructured time at home to work out the boredom and rise to the occasion of problem-solving. What we need is a dedicated play space with open-ended toys that allow our children to grow confident and learn as they play.

RELATED: I am so passionate about allowing children the gift of play and it appears pediatricians are eagerly advising it as well!

playroom ideas

Play allows:

  • Confidence to develop which will help with larger life problems down the road
  • Ideas to transform from a vision to an experience
  • Fine motor skills to prosper
  • Communicating ideas to blossom
  • Dexterity to emerge
  • Academics to connect as hands-on learning continues

Simply put, children need to play, and a play space that encourages them to do so.

And having a space to do so is key for parents to also better understand how their child thinks and problem solves. This helps create a strong bond and understanding between the parent and child.

RELATED: Need some ideas at your fingertips? Here are 50+ Play Ideas to get toddlers and preschoolers up and creating!

playroom ideas

Where is the best place for a playroom?

From a dedicated room to clearing out a walk-in closet, finding a play nook can be as big or small as you want to make it. Kids do not need all the things. What children do need are families and teachers to allow the time for play and exploration to take place.

When creating your playroom or play space, you’ll want to consider a few things:

  1. Kids like to stay close. Consider a space that is walkable to where you also like to be. Children like to check-in and show an occasional Lego design or drawing. When your play space is nearby, children feel wanted and loved.
  2. Good toys matter. We are looking for open-ended toys. This means that the toys have a different start and finished each time they are played with.
  3. Build play into your daily routine. Consider taking a look at your predictable schedule and find the same time each day that your children are encouraged to go and play. Implementing Breakfast Invitations has been a lifesaver for getting my boys to play more.
  4. Consider age. You can begin to implement play to all ages, but it is important to understand that the more you set time aside for play, the better players children will become. Rome was not built in a day. Consider your child’s age and remember that over time, consistency will playoff.
  5. Show your child how you value play. When your child is playing, take note of the actions they take. Build them up. Show them they are noticed when they come to you to share what they have worked on.

I see you are using the blue magnetic tile on the top of your building! Why did you choose the square?

Look at this drawing you made for me! Can you tell me about it?

Thanks for the soup! You know this is my favorite. Can you make a bowl for your bear? He looks hungry!

And above all, when your toddler or preschooler is playing, try and have the TV off. Have something quiet to work on yourself as they play.

playroom ideas

Playroom Organization

Having an organized playroom is the start of setting your family up for independent play.

I am a huge believer in having an adult space (such as a sofa) within the child-centered playroom. This way, we can supervise our toddlers early on and watch them play as we enjoy that hot cup of coffee. – You feel me?

Inside 20+ Ideas to Decorate your Playroom, you will find playroom furniture and playroom design to fit your personal style.

20+ Ideas to Decorate Your Playroom

When thinking about paint colors for your playroom, think neutral colors. Save the vibrant colors and patterns for the playroom rug and engaging open-ended toys.

I particularly like these Sherwin William Grays.

I also really love creating different play zones within one room. Some ideas are finding an area for pretend play, another for art supplies. This is a great way to break up the play space.

Decorating a playroom on a budget is possible with these ideas. If you invest in timeless pieces, you will see the playroom transform into a creative workspace as your child grows.

Whether your play space is at entry-level or a nook in the closet, these ideas will be sure to get your organized.

How to Make a Magnetic Wall

Did you know that magnets stick to sheet metal?

When I first began the process of hanging a magnetic wall on our playroom I searched high and low for the size I wanted.

What I found was many of the magnetic boards online were much smaller than I desired. I wanted a large magnetic board to take up one-third of the wall.

Finally, it dawned on me to head to a fabrication shop and purchase one large piece of sheet metal.

Inside this post, you will find how we secured it to the wall and a step-by-step guide to creating your magnet wall for your home.

Playroom Storage Ideas

Decluttering a playroom is possible with the help of excellent storage.

I’ve spent the last five years, searching for playroom storage pieces that are functional and last over time.

Below you will find storage ideas for:

Puzzle Storage

Stepping on puzzle pieces?

Jamming jigsaws into the desk drawer when company comes?

Missing corners to your favorite chunky puzzle?

We were too!

That is until we came up with this genius puzzle storage solution. Finally, a simple way to gather the pieces to each puzzle ONCE so that it can be played time and time again without any missing pieces

Gather everything from your floor puzzles to your sound puzzles. It is time to get organizing!

Playroom Toy Storage

One of the biggest questions people have is what to do with all the parts and pieces that come with toys.

Parts and pieces can seem impossible to keep up with.

The trick is to find the RIGHT kind of storage.

And good news!

We’ve tried all types of baskets and boxes, and now have a toy storage system that actually works. Hooray!!

With this toy storage, every object has a designated place.

Easy Lego Storage Ideas

Okay, I will be first to admit that stepping on a Lego is not my favorite.

Legos into the heal do not bring out my best self. (sigh)

So the trick is being able to find the pieces you need without Legos pouring over the dining room table onto the floor. Because no one needs that amongst the chaos of daily life.

When red Legos have a spot, and green enter the green bin, Legos seem to take on a better play pattern.

I also wanted a Lego storage solution that was neutral in color without screaming primary colors. I try my best to blend toy storage into our home decor and love what we found. This is a great way to store Legos in the playroom or a nearby closet.

Playspace Art Center

The art of creating is essential for child development.

As parents, we want to inspire creativity in a way that makes sense within our home.

Having an art cart in your playroom will help encourage:

  • Fine motor skills
  • Dexterity
  • Self-expression
  • Language
  • Design Ideas
  • Inspire new ideas from prior experiences

Art is a gift we can give our children to better understand the thoughts and world around them.

Which toys are best for the kid’s playroom?

Playroom Supplies

On Monday through Friday mornings, we like to set up Breakfast Invitations for our boys.

Breakfast Invitations are a simple way to invite kids to create, as parents catch their breath and wake up.

Breakfast Invitations also solve the problem of morning TV making our kids cranky and forgetting how to play independently.

Inside this post, you will find the BEST supplies for creating DIY games at home. Setup is less than seven minutes and will get your child ready to play the following morning.

These playroom supplies are simple supplies that you may already have in your home.

Playroom toy list

101+ Favorite Toys for the Playroom

Finally, let’s talk more about what to put inside the playroom to inspire play.

To make the search easiest for you, I divided the Best Playroom Toys for Kids into 9+ categories.

Inside this playroom toy list you will find:

Remember, finding the perfect kid’s playroom for your child does not have to be complicated.

Take some ideas from these lists above and begin to rearrange your space slowly. Over time you will notice how your child plays which will also help create a stronger bond between the two of you.