Kids Play Area

The walls and rug of the new play area need to be neutral, since it's open to the kitchen and shares the same space as the front entry. With this somewhat open floor plan, I want the colors to be easy on the eye and each space designated by different accessory colors as well as creative partitions. I'll divide the entry and the play area with a homemade screen/room divider. 

Since I home school, I want the space to be able to be used for teaching as well as free play. My old kitchen island, a craft table purchased years ago from Pier One, may be perfect in that room. The boys can sit on stools and play playdoh, color or do their school work. I could also put the laptop on it sometimes.

I just need to make sure that there is enough open space for the rough housing that will likely occur. One to two bookshelves will provide ample storage as well as the cubbies on either end of the craft table.

I'm thinking that the accessories and storage baskets will provide enough extra extra color, along with the bright colors of toys.

Here are some ideas that I'd love to incorporate in this area or in the boys play room. My boys are currently a few months from ages three and five. However, in the next couple years godchildren and grandchildren will be around and I want to plan ahead.

      

   

     

I found this at a consignment sale.

I may hang it next to their bunk beds so that each boy can stuff a level with books or stuffed animals.

It took a few hours to organize their toys according to amount of pieces and size of the bin. Here are a few:

Once the new flooring was in, I could begin to arrange their play area. It's located in the front room. I divided their play space from the designated foyer space with a room divider.

One view of their space. The island used to be in our kitchen before the renovation. I bought it at Pier One and originally it was a craft desk. Two years ago I cut, stained and poly'ed a piece of birch and installed it as the new surface top. Now it is perfect for playing playdoh, setting up the laptop for their play, or in the future, their homework.

Once people walk through the new front door 

and past the room divider, this is what they see:

The island cubbies were perfect for their books of various sizes.

I have a clear view of them playing from the main kitchen workspace!