Sometimes the spaces that we live and play in become a little stale — even for our little ones. Kids are always interested in what’s novel, and they may lose a little bit of interest if the space they spend considerable time in becomes mundane.
Re-creating a room can seem like an imposing job, but there are some simple changes that can breathe fresh life into a space so that your whole family is reminded that it is a space for enjoyment and creativity.
Stairs: The Portal to Fun
Many choose to have their playrooms in either their basement or attic rooms. This makes sense since it allows kids to feel like they have their own space. It works for adults for largely the same reasons; parents can feel that they’re enjoying a bit of a break without actually toting the kids off to grandmas.
If this is something that you’ve already implemented or like the idea of implementing, then let the stairs that your kids will be traveling often promote the spirit of their playroom. They are many awesome ideas that can transform your stairs into a portal of creativity.
Ideas to utilize: bold, fresh paint colors (Ombre, anyone?), vinyl decals, stamps, or even wallpaper. Freshening our stairs makes them so much more than just a walkway from one place to another.
Find Fresh Ways to Feature Their Art
A few years ago, one of the trending movements among parents was to repurpose shower curtains in an attempt to display their kid’s art in a cool, new way. Even museums were hanging kids’ art by rods with clamps attached.
But here’s the thing about displaying their art in a smart way: you want to utilize a tool that’s actually designed to hold-up against the stacks of priceless masterpieces your kids send your way.
Collect all of the piles of drawings they’ve given you, and take a moment to go through them. Select the ones that have a special memory attached, or the ones that you simply feel best represent your little one.
Step away from the magnets and the masking tape. Instead, consider something like a display rail that will prevent a floor littered with the discarded drawings your previous mode of display let fall to the ground.
Keep Organized
This DIY step isn’t so much about what you’re adding, as it is about what you’re taking. Quite the challenge for a playroom, right?! Keeping any room our kids inhabit tidy is an ordeal, but give them access to large quantities of stuff, and it becomes a whole new level of challenge entirely.
The perk of organizing and tidying up a playroom though is that the helpers are included with the room. Kids, like most adults, aren’t the biggest fans of cleaning. However, if the task is presented in the right way, with the emphasis on its potential to be a game or challenge, it can make things a little bit easier.
If you are doing some serious cleaning this is also smart to think about the cleaning products you’re using around your kids, every day. Even in this area, DIYing your own cleaning supplies can dramatically cut down on the toxins being spread and the money being spent.
Sometimes a room’s messiness is largely the result of too much stuff. If that’s the case there are techniques you can utilize to combat the problem. Consider something like the Four Box Technique, which will help you assess all of your child’s stuff, and what to do with it. It essentially looks like this:
⦁ Gather the items you’re ready to remove from the room and sort!
⦁ Keep Box: This is the stuff that needs to stay in the playroom and just needs to be put away.
⦁ Donate/sell Box: This is the box of stuff that has value and is in good condition, but your family no longer uses.
⦁ The Toss Box: This is for the stuff that is totally worn out or broken. This is for the stuff that you’re not saving and that isn’t high enough quality to donate or sell.
⦁ The Storage Box: if you just can’t bear to say goodbye, but you also don’t use it regularly then this is the box for it. If you have issues saying goodbye to stuff, you’re gonna need a big box.
2) Organize one area at a time. Going through an entire room can be a completely overwhelming experience, but if you focus in on reasonable, digestible sections that you can tackle in small amounts of time it will make the experience so much easier!
3) When you come to an item ask yourself which box it belongs in, and then follow through! De-cluttering only happens when we truly think through the things that we allow to fill the spaces in our homes. If you’re really struggling to make a decision because you don’t need/use the item, but you have a sentimental attachment consider taking a picture of the item. If you still aren’t sure, implement a temporary box, the “Maybe Box.”
4) Lastly, empty the boxes and start again. This is the part where you throw away the trash, put the donations in the car for drop-off, and find a temporary home for the sell items. Don’t forget to put everything in the “Keep Box” in its rightful home, and then tackle the next section!
Get Smart with Storage
It’s kind of weird that the smallest people in the house are often the ones making the largest mess. In a sense, this an extension of the aforementioned concept. If you’re working within the confines of limited space, smart storage will be your best friend. There are endless ideas that can potentially create a more harmonious state for you and your family. Here are some of our favorites:
Canisters: Tired of stepping on Legos (We all are.)? An old coffee canister cleaned, with the label replaced by an image of the tiny Legos, crayons, doll accessories, etc., inside!
Pen/Pencil Holder: If you have a place for their drawing utensils to go, they may not always utilize it; but if you don’t have a set place, the writing instruments will definitely be all over the place!
Dress-up Closet: A small, second-hand dresser can be revamped by having its shelving removed and a fresh coat of paint added. A rod placed inside to hang dresses on and baskets placed below for smaller accessories can prevent dress-up bin explosions!
Magnetic Holder: The magnetic strips used for hanging knives are often found at the back of a kitchen cupboard or at home improvement stores, and they are perfect for hanging small metal toys like cars. Mounted on the wall they’ll add a pop of color and easy accessibility.
No matter what you’re struggling to keep contained, a little effort and ingenuity are likely all you need to solve the problem!
Remember: It Can Be Done
All parents have encountered moments where the concept of having kids and having a clean house just seems like an impossibility, but it’s not. It’s certainly not the type of thing that will just happen in and of itself, but with a little bit of elbow grease and creative thinking, it can indeed happen. If upgrading your family’s playroom is something you’d like to do but are hesitant to attempt, take heart because it can be done!
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