Let’s be real – there’s a good chance your kids will spend their summer vacation on the XBOX, PS4, or their iPads no matter what you do. A well-styled playroom can help to entice them off the couch and get them engaged in other activities. It can also become a fun, attractive living area for the whole family to enjoy. Read on for our top tips on how to style your kids’ play space.
Keeping it Realistic
In today’s Instagram world, it seems that every inspiration board is full of cute cups full of perfectly-arranged colored pencils and jars of rainbow buttons all in a row. The reality is, parents are hard-pressed enough to convince their kids to clean up, much less to leave the table looking picture-perfect. When it comes to creating stations in your play space, we recommend taking a multi-purpose approach. A table provides a surface for not only arts and crafts but also for snacks and playing games. To create a whimsical look, mismatch your chairs. Or save on space by getting stools or a bench that can tuck underneath.
On the floor, think durable. Crumbs and glitter can make clean-up a pain. Carpet tiles are an easy solution; they come in a wide range of colors and patterns and can be easily vacuumed or even thrown in the laundry. They can also hold up to a lot of wear and tear, and should they stain it’s not hard to swap one tile out for a new one.
Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind
Giving your children their own space can help to consolidate toys and keep the mess out of more public parts of the house, but it can also make it more of a challenge to keep an eye on them. If your home has a larger family room, living room, or other space with area to spare, consider making that your kid’s zone. That way, you can still hear if your child calls for you, and they will be more likely to stay focused and play in their space when they know they aren’t isolated from the rest of the family.
To designate a distinct zone for your kids, you can use low bookshelves (like these awesome ones from Target or Ikea) with storage baskets for hiding toys. Or, use soft seating to separate a corner of the room for play. Anchor your new play zone with a fun, child-friendly rug.
