Every child needs to play. It is a very important part of childhood, because it determines your children’s behavior when they grow up. They have to be allowed to play freely outside, to run and jump, wallow in the grass, kick a ball, or run after a balloon. They can scream and shout in a park as long as it sounds like normal children’s play. And then comes a time when they have to stay indoors, but they still have to play. Play is a crucial part of little children’s physical and psychological development. So you should provide them with a safe and functional playroom.
Choose the right space
If you have a big, old house, you can easily decide on what space will be a children's playroom. You can make one in the basement, or you can section off and repurpose a part of your garage. Even a part of your attic will do. As long as you provide a comfortable climate zone, with good temperature and air quality control, your children’s playroom will be perfect. Of course, this is possible only with good old house insulation that will improve the children’s comfort in their play zone.
Prepare the space with safe materials
After you make sure that you have the best possible insulation, you have to paint the walls with a low or no-VOCs paint. It has to be easy to clean, but at the same time safe to touch.
The same goes for the furniture; make sure that the finishing is made of safe and environmentally friendly substances.
Kids spend lots of time playing on the floor, so if you do not have floor heating, it should be carpeted to keep them warm. Carpets should be made of non-allergenic materials, or you can use play mats.
All cables, lighting, and sockets should be out of the reach of kids.
Kids need lots of free space
Be thrifty with furniture, as kids need to move around freely. They will need a table and some chairs, but there shouldn’t be any sharp ends on them. Think about a stack of paper and crayons. Do not be surprised if some of the works of art end up on the walls, so it would be very wise to prepare a board on which they can develop their talents with some anti-dust colorful chalk.
Prepare lots of storage space
Don’t get surprised by all the toys, pebbles, seashells, chestnuts, feathers, and other stuff your children will accumulate over time. Just prepare enough storage space for different purposes and different sizes, and let them play. Bigger compartments for bigger toys, some baskets for bric-a-bracs, and little boxes for this-and-that will be necessary. Dedicate some compartments for paper and crayons under the table, and consider storing books there as well.
Teach them to remove clutter
Never let children leave a mess behind, because acquiring good habits is essential. Teach them to put a toy in the same compartment every time they quit playing so that they can always find it in the same place.
Surprise them with old toys
Whenever your kids finish their play, pay attention to what toys are left in the deepest corner of a compartment, or on the bottom of a basket. Then put away those that are not in use for some time, and when the time comes, when they seem to be bored with other toys, just pop them out. Kids will like them just as if they were new, plus they’ll already have nice emotions attached to them.
