What did the coronavirus pandemic teach us about our kids? One, they’re full of energy and they want adventure. Two, they’re easily bored. Three, they want to do things their way. And four, they want to spend as much time with us as possible. While we more around the house for the past 10 months because we can’t socialize with our friends and we are fearful about the state of our jobs, our kids are happy to have us home finally. They can ask us to read books whenever they want, and they can do all sorts of activities with us.
One of the things that we should have done since we’re quarantined at home anyway is to design their playroom. During the last 10 months, have you noticed how your toddler who can barely walk straight became a full-blown three years old who wants to climb chairs, jump on the bed, and color the walls? How did that happen? That makes you think that even if you live in a tiny apartment, these toddlers of yours need their own space. Enter the playroom.
Kid-friendly Furniture
Unfortunately, you cannot design the playroom the way you furnish your own bedroom. You have to be extra mindful of the furniture that you will choose for your kids’ playroom. They have to be sturdy but at the same time, can break the fall of a rowdy toddler who’s intent on climbing the bookcase.
This highlights the next important feature of a playroom—rugs, mats, and carpet flooring. Carpets will prevent slipping and break a fall. Rugs and mats placed in the right areas of the room will also prevent accidents. Just make sure that the area rugs and mats have an anti-slip feature. Find carpet suppliers and fitters in your area who can provide high-quality but affordable carpet flooring to your kids’ playroom.
As much you want your kids to read as many books as they can, filling up their rooms with books will only overwhelm them. Besides, high bookcases are opportunities for disaster. Your kids will want to climb those shelves. You can only imagine the horror.
There are also tables and chairs specifically designed for kids. The more expensive ones are those that grow along with your kids. They can use these until they’re in their teens. You may want to check that out if you have space in your budget. The same goes for the lounge areas you will create in your kids’ playroom. A reading nook with a lounge chair is a nice touch so they can do all sorts of activities—play, read, and nap—in their playrooms.
If you have a small budget, repurpose old chairs and tables in your basement. You might even have an old ottoman in your living room that no one ever uses. Take advantage of these items. If your kids are old enough, they can even join in the fun of repurposing this old furniture.
Organizers
How do you want to organize your kids’ playroom? Are you going to let them manage it on their own? Are you going to impose a cleanup day when all they have to do is make sure their toys are in their right places? You need practical storage ideas such as baskets, bins, boxes, and clear containers. Labeling these storage containers will also help your kids identify where they need to put their toys after they are done playing with them.
Teach your kids how to organize their art supplies, toys, and books. This is a trait they will need even when they are old and gray. Successful people are some of the most organized people you will meet.
Lead-free Wall Paint
Go for painted walls for now (make sure the paint is lead-free). Forget putting that nice wallpaper. Your kids will have a hard time resisting not to color on those walls. Since wallpaper tends to be expensive, forego that idea and paint your walls with a nice shade of whatever color they want—pastels, rainbow colors, or what-not.
It’s important to ask your kids (if they can already identify colors) what color they want for their playrooms. After all, they’re the ones who are going to stay and play in this room. You wouldn’t want others to pick the color of your room, right?
It often feels overwhelming to look at the nice playroom décor on Pinterest. Don’t get sucked into it. If you do not have the time to overhaul your kids’ playroom, don’t feel bad. You can take it one day at a time until you slowly realize it’s exactly the way you imagined it in your head. There’s no need to be influenced by social media. Your kids’ happiness is your only focus.
