Many parents decide to designate a room in the house as a kids playroom. This is a great idea, as it keeps all the toys and clutter in one area, provides a safe place for children to play, and helps them to be creative and imaginative.
If you feel that your playroom is missing that extra special ‘something’ maybe you should try one of the following ideas:
- Make a dressing up closet! Or box, depending on what you have available in the room. Dress up closets can hold all sorts of awesome costumes and dress-up accessories. Dress-up closets are so much fun, and can lead to all sorts of role acting activities. A well stocked dress up closet may include hats, dresses, coats, belts, costume jewelry, and the like. This type of activity can entertain your child for hours. Just make sure that all the items in the closet are safe for your child to use, and if you want them to be able to do all the dressing up independently, the clothing should be easy to put on and take off.
- Make a ‘sand’ box! You can do this by filling a plastic kiddie-pool with things like plastic balls (like the ones in the McDonald’s play areas) or other suitable substrate. Some parents like to fill it with aquarium gravel, but this should only be used with older children who know not to swallow the little pebbles. You can also use two boards nailed together at a 90 degree angle and placed in a corner of the room to form a square for the box. Clean up is easy, as you’ll just need to toss the balls back into the box (a fun game in itself!) or sweep up any stray pebbles.
- Go camping in the room! You can either set up a temporary tent (a blanket draped over two chairs has always been a favorite with young kids!) or make your tent a semi-permanent structure. Many stores sell kids’ tents that just ‘pop-up’ when unfolded. These can be left ‘pitched’ in the room, and your child can hide in it whenever he or she wants to. Another great idea is to make a tepee in the room! This idea is perfect for western themed rooms and you and your child can learn something about Native American culture while you build your tent.
- Get artistic! Many parents devote a part of the playroom to arts and crafts. A great idea to add a working art surface to a room is to paint a wall, or part of it, with special chalkboard paint. This gives your child a free pass to draw all over the wall, a big no-no in other parts of the house, which can make being able to just go to work on a wall hold a lot of attraction. Your little artist can ‘re-decorate’ just as often as he or she likes, without getting mommy and daddy upset.
Adding something new to your playroom can renew your child’s interest in playing in the room and may open up a whole new wave of imaginative play. Trying one of the ideas above, or looking online for other great ideas, is a great way to liven up the playroom and make it even more fun.