Playroom Set Up

[mim]

I am just now getting into the interest of having certain play centers in the playroom. I want it to feel more professional and not just like a home that I am having kids come to. I have a 4 level split home. so when you walk in the front door its my living room (playroom) then kitchen/dining. Then off the kitchen, down the stairs is my family room, or from the living room you can go upstairs to the bedrooms. So the dc playroom is the main living room right in the door it's about 120sq ft. the kitchen has 2 kids size tables w/chairs and a bunch of other clutter like a dc shelf unit w/paint, paper, fine motor etc. filing cabinets for paperwork, and the family room is just for nap.

Sorry so long but my question is how would you set up the playroom w/center areas. its not a huge room and it only has 2 1/2 walls to use w/2 corners. Currently I have a shelf unit with random toys, small wood blocks, animals, people, and a few imaginext houses.

TIA

[cheerfuldom]

Can you post pics of what you have right now? It is hard to imagine what you are working with from just a description

[mim]

I think I attached pics. Not quite sure. Thanks

Sorry did a double pic of one wall, just different months.
in the kitchen there is now a shelf right below the window like the one in the playroom

[SilverSabre25]

I LOVE these shelves for room dividing






Easily found at Target, pretty affordable as these things go. I think the ones I have were much cheaper than that but I don't remember.

I like my playroom set up to be variable and dynamic. Cute little area rugs can also help define areas and add play space (like a road rug for driving cars on)

[mim]

Is there a back on them or are they through. Is it the ones for the cloth bins?

For room diving, how do you keep them from getting climbed on. I tried to put my shelf side ways from the wall and the kids would lean over them to see and I was terrified they were going to fall over. Also kids try to play with toys on the top and end up driving cars off or knocking blocks down onto others heads playing on the other side. Any suggestion is helpful. Thanks

[SilverSabre25]

Is there a back on them or are they through. Is it the ones for the cloth bins?

For room diving, how do you keep them from getting climbed on. I tried to put my shelf side ways from the wall and the kids would lean over them to see and I was terrified they were going to fall over. Also kids try to play with toys on the top and end up driving cars off or knocking blocks down onto others heads playing on the other side. Any suggestion is helpful. Thanks

You supervise and teach them not to climb. But at worst it's a 2ft fall, not too much (re your worry about them falling over). You can teach them not to play on top of the shelf, or you can give them the freedom to and deal with the "fall"out (haha yay puns)--i.e driving cars on them is okay but building blocks needs to be done on the floor, kwim?

For the back, you can get a piece of 2ftx3ft wood and screw it onto the back, or anything else that's 2ftx3ft. Fabric could even work if you wanted. I don't use the fabric bins; I use plastic shoeboxes and the boxes that are one size up, or I just set toys in the cubes depending on the toy. They fit PERFECTLY in the spaces, and it helps with crowding and stuff.

[jenboo]

Here is what my set up looks like. I also have a small space but have set up some centers. I use rugs and shelves to define the centers. It takes a little but of energy at first to teach them not to climb but it usually doesn't take long. Then it is so much easier when you get one new kids because the others have already stopped climbing.

[permanentvacation]

Jenboo,

I like the idea of using different colored area rugs for the different areas.

[jenboo]

Jenboo,

I like the idea of using different colored area rugs for the different areas.

Thanks!!!! It adds a little color and the kids love it!
"I play on orange rug"

[mim]

Jenboo,

Your space looks great and really roomy. You said you have a small space too, so to get a better idea, how big would you say it is long and wide?

[nothingwithoutjoy]

The simplest way to get started with creating different centers would be to move the shelves from under the window and in the playroom so that they jut out into the room--then you have three separate areas right away. If you're concerned about them tipping, you can still bolt them to the wall--just line it up with a stud and use an L-bracket. Another way to stop tipping would be to attach the shelves to each other in an L-shape (again, using an L-bracket screwed to the tops of them). Then one end of the L could be against the wall and the other shelf could be out in the room and you'd have a little private nook between them.

You can also create separate areas with fabric--curtains hung from the ceiling, for example. Or artwork hung as a screen from the ceiling, one below another. Here are some nice examples.

[jenboo]

Jenboo,

Your space looks great and really roomy. You said you have a small space too, so to get a better idea, how big would you say it is long and wide?

17.5 feet by 12.5 feet.
That doesn't include the kitchen since the kids don't go in there.

It's larger than your space but still pretty small in my opinion.
You also have your tables in the kitchen which opens up more space for centers.

[mim]

Thank you all. You have given me some great ideas. I appreciate your help, but one more ??? how and where do you store your playdoh and accessories, paint, brushes, stamps, stickers, pipecleaners, glitter, sequins, pasta, beans, beads, buttons, ............ and so on

[nothingwithoutjoy]

Thank you all. You have given me some great ideas. I appreciate your help, but one more ??? how and where do you store your playdoh and accessories, paint, brushes, stamps, stickers, pipecleaners, glitter, sequins, pasta, beans, beads, buttons, ............ and so on

We have a studio (see here). In the classroom, we set up a studio space with an L-shaped shelf around a circular table.

[jenboo]

because my DCK are all young, I store it all on a shelf that I have up high on the wall (its 5'7" high). You can see the shelf in the first picture above the blue rug.
When i had older children, I put all the art supplies on the big shelf gray shelf with the fish and other stuff