Playtime is an important part of your child’s developmental process. While playing, they develop cognitive and athletic skills, in addition to building confidence and learning how to be creative.
TV and video games will try to compete for your child’s attention, but with the right playroom ideas and tools, you can create an environment that encourages active play (as opposed to passive entertainment).
Below, we’ve provided inspiration for some of the best playroom ideas that will keep your kids occupied for hours.
Hopscotch Stepping Stones
What an adorably huge version of the classic game of Hopscotch! Concrete pavers from the local Home Depot work wonders as the stepping stones, and sprucing them up different candy-hued outdoor paints, including red, blue, green, orange, yellow, black and white makes everything oh so vibrant. And you don’t need to limit this colorful thing of creativity to games – these pavers are much more fun than a plain paper and pencil when it comes to working on some math problems with a little innovation, making learning all the way more interesting.
Tyres Defining Play Area
Tyres can be quite handy and chic when it comes to crafting super joyful early childhood settings. This set of tyres arranged in a cone-like shape serves the purpose of defining the backyard’s space dedicated to the kiddos. It’s amazing how these old repurposed motor accessories function as a unique wall with an industrial appeal, that too without actually going for any construction to get it all done. If you want to work out something a little more bright, coating the tyres with your choice of spray paints or even lining them with cushions to end up in a comfortable seating is a few extra touches you can add to the project.
Make a PVC Pipe Kiddie Car Wash
Those kiddie car washes aren’t a tedious task anymore when you have got this breathtaking car wash section in the yard, built out of PVC pipes. You’ll love how pool needles kitchen sponges, pom poms, and shower curtain add the final touches to this kiddie car wash that’s the most perfect summer project to make for your little ones. What pool needles do here is hug around the pipes, having a few extra ones attached to the pom pom handles to make an archway, while a the shower curtain goes for the dryer end. If the decorations weren’t already pretty enough, sponges cut and stringed into stars adorn the structure even better.
Art + Outdoors = Artdoorsy
It’s a pretty cool idea to get the kids indulged in some outdoor artsy projects, blending creativity with play time and giving the kids a perfect place to create stunning artworks. That outdoor chalkboard installed on the garden fence has been rightly clubbed with a hanging bucket loaded with a whole bundle of colorful chalks. A hardi-board coated in some chalkboard paint would work wonders to get it all done, just make sure you keep the dimensions of your garden fence in mind. To add an element of refinement, you can always build a frame around the board using some old pieces of wood and spray paint.
Make a Music Wall
Let your innovation loose and grab household items and a few percussive instruments that can make a great sound when rubbed, plucked, or struck. All you need to do is fix them to the fence, ending up with your kid’s very own Music Wall. Some of the most surprising yet amazing installations on the wall include a xylophone with a few bars missing, an old bicycle wheel that makes interesting sounds when the kids take a small metal spatula to the spokes, lots of pots and plates from the kitchen, a bunch of old container caps, a metal lattice, a simple wooden rolling pin and an ice-cube tray.
POPS OF BLUE
VIBRANT REDS
CHALKBOARD ACCENT
A chalkboard wall creates a moveable, ever-changing art gallery in this playroom by Marks & Frantz.
SEA-THEMED DESIGN
TEXTURED BEAUTY
In Lucy Liu’s playroom, woven baskets hung over the fireplace incorporate texture and a worldly feel. These club chairs from One King’s Lane are upholstered in stain-resistant Crypton.
A tent for camping indoors
Camping doesn’t get any easier than this playroom with a stylish tent. The pillows and flooring will make camping a comfortable experience. To ensure your little one doesn’t get frightened, strings of lights on the outside, and a light on the inside keep the tent from getting dark.
Places to be active
The CDC recommends that kids get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day, and this playroom idea can help your little ones to meet those guidelines. Since it’s indoors, the weather is never a factor. There are places to climb, which incrases physical strength, coordination, and balance, while the tube slide – well, that’s just fun.
Furry Friends
Your child is never alone with these soft and furry playmates. Whether your child is talking, reading, or playing a game, these stuffed animals are reliable companions.
A place to lie down and rest
Playing is actually hard work, and sometimes, kids need a play to lit down and relax. This playroom has a two beds, and soft pillows to help your child take a nap and recharge.
Variety
With a variety of activities to choose from, kids can always find something to do in this playroom. Whether riding, sliding, or assembling assorted items, they’re not likely to get bored.
Kitchen with a play corner
Other parents like to have their kids’ playroom next to the kitchen. When both parents work, one of the most common places for the family to hang out together is in the kitchen. So, you can set aside a part of your kitchen near to the eating area, for example, for the playroom. This way, you can pay attention to your kids while you’re cooking and cleaning, and talking to them at the same time.
Art studio
If you believe that one of the most important tasks as a parent is to stimulate your children’s creativity and imagination, then an art studio is an excellent way of achieving this objective. You can create an extremely cozy area where your kids can play games, draw, and paint on their craft table.
Kid’s gym: Climbing wall and monkey bar
If you have space, why not have monkey bars or a climbing wall installed? Most kids love these types of features. Plus, it will be perfect for those special days when they need to burn off their excess energy.
Reading corner
One of the things that we like to see in a playroom is a reading corner. You can just have some pillows spread on the ground or a few small bean bags to make this little corner cozy and comfortable.
Lighting
However, you also need to be prepared for the days where the sun is content to sit in the clouds. In this case, consider having some small lamps spread through the area and a bigger ceiling fixture. If you decide to have a desk or workstation in the playroom, plan for the appropriate type of lighting there as well, especially if you want your kids to study in this area.
Backyard Construction Zone for Dramatic Play
Finding ways to keep your kids entertained can be challenging. Creating a super fun sensory pit is a great way to let your little ones engage in free play all while containing the mess. What I love most about a sensory pit is that you can always change it up. Instead of rocks you can use sand, water, beans, rice or any other miscellaneous items you may have on hand.
Weatherproof Sandbox with Built-In Seats and Lid
This outdoor play addition brings the best of both worlds. A fun little area full of sand with the benefit of withstanding any weather that comes your way. The last thing you want is to spend time crafting an awesome play design only to have the wind or rain destroy it. This sandbox features a strong lid that’s sturdy enough to transform into bench-style seating when opened.
Outdoor Play Space that Sparks Curiosity and Adventure
Having an outdoor play house truly brings so much versatility to your backyard. Not only are they quite simple to construct, they also allow your little one to get a bit creative as to how to use their new quaint space. A few ideas to spark curiosity and bring adventure include using their new playhouse as a lounge area, a cozy reading nook, a store-front setting with play kitchen, arts and crafts area or any other activities that brings your child joy.
Intimate Up-cycled Sand Box with Removable Lid
You wouldn’t believe all of the things you can create out of unused furniture laying around the house or in the garage collecting dust. This up-cycled sand box was created from an old dresser! The transformation is incredible and provides such a cozy, intimate setting for your child to play in the sand for as long as their little heart desire.
Multi-Purpose Half Deck, Half Sand Box Play Area
The versatility of sandboxes these days is really quite impressive. This beautiful sandbox features a hinged cover that when both opened and closed serves as a deck. When opened, this sandbox provides the best of both worlds with an area for seating and an area for playing in the sand.
DIY Outdoor Car Track
Looking exactly like the roads outside with white lines painted in the middle of these grey bricks using white outdoor paint, this car track can add that out-of-the-box factor to your yard. The bricks sinking into the sand have been clubbed with lots of pebbles, plants, people, wooden blocks and mini cars that add the perfect final touches to the track. Make sure you plan out your path before actually going for the paint job for the bricks. Head to the below inspiration by Niccola on Tuesday to make the process a lot more easier.
Backyard Play Area Ideas
Here’s a whole guide to personalising your backyard into a playtime paradise for your little ones. Whether it’s a toy car road built with edging blocks, an amazing weather-proofed custom chalkboard, an easy-to-make sandbox, colorful mini playhouses, or a mysterious toy car tunnel made out of PVC pipes with an entrance arch lined with lots of pebbles, a water heater drip pan transformed into the perfect pool for kids to play with toy boats, this one has you covered. The below guide from Lowe’s takes you through the construction in utmost detail with step-by-step instructions.
INVITING NEUTRALS
FRESH WHITE PALETTE
PLAYFUL VIBE
Wall decals
There are a number of things you can do to make your playroom very attractive for your children. Even though you can have all of the walls painted with bright colors, you can opt to have some of them (or all) with wall decals or wall stickers. There are a plethora of different patterns, with some specially adapted to children. In fact, your kids can help you choose one pattern they like.
Colors
One of the things that all playrooms have in common is several different, bright colors that make for a lively stimulating environment. This can be the starting point for your decor. However, what else can you do besides painting the walls yellow, red or green?
Organization tips
If there is something that you will always need to do on a regular basis is to get rid of all that stuff that your kids just don’t use. Even if the area that you’re going to use for the playroom is big, you can be sure that things will tend to accumulate.
Sooner or later, you’ll need to start purging stuff and getting rid of it. So, why not start fresh? After all, you already need to sort out the things you want to place in there.
Table and chairs for kids
So, with this said, you also need to have a table and some chairs specially designed for kids. These usually tend to have bright, appealing colours.
