We feel so fortunate to have this “bonus room” in our new house. My husband and I did not having this kind of space in our houses growing up so it feels like a huge treat for all of us! 🤣 I love keeping the girls’ bedrooms as spaces for sleeping / rest (we do keep books and Anywhere Chairs in their rooms) along with their personal belongings, of course. The playroom is a dedicated space for exactly that… play! I know that we won’t be able to keep all toys in that room (super unreasonable to expect kids not to drag them all over the house), but we’re going to try our best! 😅 We also want all of the toys to have storage “homes” that they can be put away in when not in use and that’s where this room comes in! I’m sure that the use of the space will evolve as the girls grow (maybe a movie / game room when they become teens?), but this is how we’re currently using it during this stage of life.
We use the couch to help define two areas within the room. One half of the space for chilling on the couch to read books or watch movies and shows together, but also plenty of space for play!
MEDIA AREA
Frame TV
We’re huge fans of the Samsung Frame TV; so much so that we have them in multiple rooms in our house! We try not to use too much screen time with the girls, but sometimes we employ an episode or two of “Bluey” on Disney+ help to get us to nap time. I will note that we chose not to feed the tv cable through the wall to hide it in this room, but you totally could if it’s a concern for you.
Storage Cabinet
I absolutely LOVE this piece of furniture so much. It’s great for extra toy storage (we try to routinely rotate Sophie’s toys), but we also keep the Samsung Frame control box and our AppleTV in there to keep them out of sight and away from toddler hands. 😉 The door magnets are fairly strong so the girls haven’t figured out that they can open them [yet].
Sectional w/ Chaise
We chose this couch because it fits the space, but also because it could be made with performance fabric (stain-resistant) and the cushions can be un-zipped to be washed. It’s sturdy (read: not ultra cushy), but definitely comfy enough and works well for a kids play space where it’s going to have its fair share of rough play and spills / accidents.
Ruggable
It’s no secret that we love these washable rugs in our home, and they make especially perfect sense in a playroom. We repurposed this rug from our first house and I love the way that the muted colors of the Sarrah Hazel Rug look in this space.
…
Framed Art Prints
I fell in love with these educational posters from the moment I discovered them… It was just a matter of deciding how large I wanted to print them (we ultimately went with 16”x20”)! I also really love the frames; the “whitewashed” look gives them a little bit of visual interest (so they don’t completely blend in with the white background of the prints) and the “glass” is actually plastic, which makes me feel better about having them in the playroom where they could potentially get knocked off the wall with rambunctious play.
…
STORAGE
CABINETS & SHELVING
We lived here for a year before deciding to install a proper storage system on one wall. We love it because there are drawers and open shelves on the lower portion for little ones to access and cabinets with doors above for more secure storage, accessible only by adults. We ordered one 3-piece unit and then ordered “build your own” pieces to add two more storage cabinets on either side that are mostly the same configuration except that instead of cubby squares we got open shelving for larger pieces (thinking of Fisher Price play houses, farm, etc.).
*Note: I loved this helpful blog post on organizing and storing sensory table supplies and thought I’d pass it along to you!
We also love having these woven basket bins and round woven rope baskets on the shelves to contain all of the smaller, loose toys. This makes it easier to contain smaller items (such as Little People figurines!) and display puzzle pieces to look welcoming for play.
…
Belly Baskets
These belly baskets are perfect for toy storage; we use them for all of our plushy stuffed animals. This particular kind of basket is cool because the top part can become inverted and become an entirely different style of basket (or easier to stack for storage), if needed!
Lovevery Subscription
We always love when our Lovevery toy shipments arrive. They’re beautiful, well-made and perfectly geared toward each development stage so I don’t have to do any research on what toys will be best for Sophie’s age. We’re all big fans!
…
Pieces to encourage play:
Nugget
A secondary “couch” that can also be configured in many different ways for indoor tumbling, climbing, and imaginative play! Sophie loves to play Neighborhood Watch and peer out the window at the comings and goings of the neighborhood from this perch so when not in play we keep it under the window here. This play couch is easily one of our favorite things in the playroom that gets daily use.
Sensory Play Table & Bins
A “main attraction” in the play space of the room. We use it as a classic table (playtime at Sophie height), but also for sensory bin play. I wrote a post about our sensory play setup if you want even more details!
Padded Floor Mat
This padded floor mat is the best pairing for the sensory table because it’s super cushy underfoot and catches [most] drips and spilled bin fillers. It can also be flipped over for play with cars because there are road & train track patterns on the back of every mat.
Play Kitchen
This adorable 3-piece play kitchen includes a sink, range / oven and refrigerator that are absolutely perfect for imaginative and demonstrative play! Our girls love “baking” things in the oven, sorting / stocking the refrigerator, and “cooking” meals on the stovetop. It’s certainly a well-loved set in our home.
Interchangeable Art Frame
This frame is perfect for easily displaying (and frequently swapping out!) your little ones’ latest artworks. We hung it closer to Sophie’s level so that she can add her art pieces as she pleases. I also personally like that the frame looks like a “real frame” so that Sophie’s art can appear more official. 😉 I hope it makes her feel great when we display her pieces!
Lastly, if you’re looking for ways to lay out your playroom, I enjoyed this article about how to “Montessori” your child’s play space. There were so many helpful tips!
Please feel free to reach out in the comments below if you see something that you’d like to have more details on!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie