Families lucky enough to have a room or space dedicated as a children’s playroom are often disappointed when their children don’t choose to spend a lot of time there. The room may be in a permanent state of chaotic messiness, siblings may fight over shared toys, or parents might have to watch younger children around toys, belonging to older siblings, that might be dangerous for little ones. What are some tips to set up a playroom that children will use and enjoy, but that can be kept organized and relatively neat most of the time? Here are some ideas, gathered from parents, grandparents, and early childhood professionals, that might help:
• Borrow a time-tested idea from early childhood classrooms. Set up several interest centers in your playroom, such as a block corner (containing blocks, cars, people, animals, traffic signs); housekeeping corner (with play kitchen, pots, pans, plates, and play food; dolls and doll beds, etc.) or dress-up area (with dress up clothes and hats, old Halloween costumes, a mirror).
• Create areas for quieter play, such as art or reading, in a space away from the playroom. For example, set up an art area in the family room or kitchen. Gather art materials, such as crayons, markers, scissors, tape, glue, stickers, collage materials, and a variety of paper. Store in well-labeled bins or a tabletop caddy. One family layers multiple sheets of white butcher paper on the kitchen table and keeps markers and crayons nearby to encourage creativity, removing the top sheet when it becomes soiled. Put your family’s collection of children’s books in a quiet room. Bring out seasonal favorites (Halloween, holidays, summer) at the appropriate time and then put them away until next year.
• Toy storage and display are key to planning an effective playroom. Toys that are dumped in toy boxes get lost, broken, or forgotten, while toys arranged on low shelves can be reached easily by young children, both to incorporate in their play and also to put away when playtime is over.
• If space is limited, don’t buy toys that take up a lot of space (huge stuffed animals, indoor playhouses) unless they can be disassembled or stored compactly (such as an indoor play tunnel).
• Collect small toys, such as Little People, Legos, or Matchbox cars, in see-through bins or baskets that are small enough for a young child to handle easily. Label these with signs and/or pictures cut from toy catalogs. This not only helps children know what goes where but also hones their classification skills, important in learning math.
• Be selective. Don’t overwhelm children with too many toys at once. Avoid duplicates (a child doesn’t need two stacking rings or multiple games of Monopoly). Discard broken toys and give away toys that are not regularly played with. Some families regularly (once or twice a year) inventory their toy collections, with the input of their children, donating unused toys to charity.
• Rotate toys. Bring out a few toys at a time and put away the rest. This cuts down on clutter and also makes toys feel new again. One family keeps three different toy selections, which they rotate once a month. The unused toys are stored in large plastic bins, out of sight of the children.
• Playroom toys should belong to all. Special toys that children don’t want to share with siblings or friends can be kept in the child’s room. This also goes for toys, belonging to older children, that might be too small or dangerous for very young children to handle.
This article was published first in the Fall 2006 issue of Early Childhood.
