No Time For Flash Cards

preschool activities, preschool crafts, and preschool books.

  • Blog
  • About
    • Terms Of Use
    • Disclaimer
    • Holiday Gift Guide For Kids
    • Advertise
    • In The Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Bloglovin
  • Preschool Activities
  • crafts for kids
    Preschool Crafts
  • Preschool Books
  • sensory alphabet activity
    Letters & Numbers
  • For Teachers
  • Toddlers
  • Preschool
  • Kindergarten
  • Elementary

October 27, 2014 | 29 Comments

How To Set Up A Playroom Your Kids Will Use

how to set up a playroom your kids will use

Hello! If you like what you see here you can follow our No Time For Flash Cards Pinterest board and join our Facebook community !

One of my most popular posts ever is my Play ( and learn) Room post where I walk readers through all the elements I think are essential for a playroom. The playroom in that post is designed for a young toddler and preschooler, the post explains what toys we had in our playroom and why they are important for learning. Here’s the thing my playroom looks very different now that my toddler is a preschooler and my preschooler is in 2nd grade. I am not ready to give up on this room though, it’s a happy room and with a few changes and a good clean my kids are completely in love again. This post is about how to set up a playroom your kids will use once they have outgrown your existing one. I knew I had to share the changes with you.

In this post a lot of the toys my children use and love are listed with affiliate links.

In the original post  ( read it here) I listed these elements as the must have for a good playroom for very young kids :

  • Blocks
  • Books
  • Table and chairs to create on.
  • Dress up
  • Practical life
  • Puzzles
  • Musical instruments
  • A comfy place to look at books
  • Art on the walls.

Here is how I have changed the room as my kids have aged. The main elements haven’t been deleted just adapted.

stem toys for the playroom

Our block area no longer has Little People Builders , wooden, or Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks instead our toys have turned from these wonderful basics to the next step with Gears
, Automoblox , HEXBUG , and Color Clix . All of these toys allow my kids to build at their own level which is important when you have a 4 year old and an almost 8 year old. They also let them build and play together. Having them all out and ready lets them use the toys however they want. This weekend my daughter made a gear machine to spin her Magiclip Princesses
and see which could stay on and which would fall off. No prompting just access to the right toys. One toy that has been a favorite from day one and is still is  LEGO
and DUPLO ( yes they both still play with it). The Duplo is in the playroom but Lego is in their bedrooms where they can protect their creations from demolition.

what every playroom needs

Our book nook is pretty much the same although most of the board books are gone ( a few favorites remain) and more non-fiction and chapter books have made their way on to the shelves. how to set up a book nook in yor playroom

 

One notable difference is our craft table. how to make a playroom your kids will useThe table is the same but now it’s filled with art supplies within reach. The only thing that I don’t have out and available are liquid tempra and sharpies.  Once my daughter is past her finger paint to whole body paint stage I will have it within reach. how to set up a playroom for your homeThe sharpies… I’m just not ready yet.  I have art daubers, markers, colored pencils, crayons, glue, googly eyes, buttons, gems, scissors, paper and more all out ready to be used.

Our kitchen area is filled with a lot more food, tea sets, and crocheted sushi. But we play grocery store with the cash register and shopping cart ,using the kitchen as the produce section and working on everything from manners, building confidence and math while we play.

The instruments have been moved to my toddler classroom where they are enthusiastically used! If your kids don’t use toys get rid of them no matter how awesome you think they are. You can pass them on to a friend or just put them away for a while and see if absence makes the heart grow fonder.

writing center in playroom

Some of the things we have added is the easel and a writing center on the top of the drawers that hold our Duplo, puzzles, and more. The writing center is a place to play with letters with pencils, markers, and even stamps. Our travel chalkboard and small Magna Doodle are more tools for writing.how to set up a playroom for kids The easel gets used for drawing, writing, and even as a place to hang paintings to dry. You might recognize our cutting station which is used often and a great way to use scrap paper and broken beaded necklaces. It’s also a fun challenge. cutting station in a playroom

The space hasn’t changed dramatically but what’s in it has evolved slowly.

Do you have a playroom? How has it changed as your children have grown? Tell me about it in comments.

Filed Under: For Parents, Playroom, Preschool Activities | 29 Comments

Like this post? Share it with a friend!

Become an Email Subscriber

Sign up above and receive all new No Time for Flashcards posts directly in your email inbox.

You may also like these posts

playroom design
Next Post: Alphabet Coloring Sheet – Free Printable
Previous Post: Cork Board Spider Web Craft

29 Comments

  1. Sarah says

    October 27, 2014 at 4:34 am

    Love it! Where’s your art table from? What are it’s dimensions? I’m considering a new and bigger art table. My kids are at the table all.day.long! As they are getting bigger. Current proximity is causing some friction!! Thanks!!!

    to Sarah" aria-label='reply to this comment to Sarah'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      October 27, 2014 at 8:33 am

      The table is from IKEA – you buy the top and legs separately. I think in total it was about $45!

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  2. Amber says

    November 3, 2014 at 8:46 am

    THank you for posting this! I am so glad I found this because I am going through a similar situation with my daughters who are about the same age (pre k and 3rd grade). I have a really hard time getting rid of toys especially the fun educational ones! I would like to one day start my own in home preschool, so maybe I’ll save them for that. Thanks again 😄

    to Amber" aria-label='reply to this comment to Amber'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      November 3, 2014 at 3:24 pm

      You are so welcome!

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  3. Linda Baker says

    November 4, 2014 at 6:23 pm

    I did a very similar playroom for my grandkids, ages 1 year to 12 yrs. It is functional, festive and fun. Needless to say they all love visiting Oma!

    to Linda Baker" aria-label='reply to this comment to Linda Baker'>reply to this comment
    • Alex Rose says

      December 15, 2017 at 9:12 am

      Linda, could you post a picture? I’m trying to make the playroom work for an 8 year old and a 2 year old. Would love to see what you did!

      to Alex Rose" aria-label='reply to this comment to Alex Rose'>reply to this comment
  4. savanna says

    November 4, 2014 at 8:37 pm

    I would love to know what type of play kitchen you have! I ordered one off of amazon and it was adorable but too tiny for my boys (ages 3 and 5). I would love to find a larger replacement!!! great ideas!!! thank you!

    to savanna" aria-label='reply to this comment to savanna'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      November 5, 2014 at 8:06 am

      You can find a link to it here in our Holiday Gift Guide. We have had it for 5 or 6 years and LOVE it.

      https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/about/holiday-gift-guide

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  5. Victoria says

    November 5, 2014 at 6:27 am

    One of the major changes we made as my boys got older (they are 5 and 8) is creating a separate “art center.” Our playroom has a comfy couch, books, a shelf of toys and a giant “train table” my father built. It almost never has trains on it, but often holds a board game or Lego creations. The couch divides the playroom from the art center, which has another table (a full-sized kitchen table) for art, plus a large shelving unit full of art supplies.

    to Victoria" aria-label='reply to this comment to Victoria'>reply to this comment
  6. Juliana says

    November 5, 2014 at 7:34 am

    Hi, I have a question, if you would help me I´d be really pleased. I have an 8 y.o boy and a 3 y.o girl. each one has its own room, with their toys, but they end up playing most of the time in the living room, where there is a TV, even if it´s not on. At that very room I could separate a small space for them to play. There´s also a garden and a backyard. Where would you say it would be the best place for me to set up a playroom for them? Thank you.

    to Juliana" aria-label='reply to this comment to Juliana'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      November 5, 2014 at 8:04 am

      I would do it where they play the most!

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  7. Elissa Jones says

    November 7, 2014 at 10:59 am

    I LOVE the reading area you have! We just moved this summer and I have a much bigger playroom and the possibilities are endless! I am so excited to set it up well and a tad bit overwhelmed with all the ideas I have…thanks for sharing what works well for you and your kiddos!

    to Elissa Jones" aria-label='reply to this comment to Elissa Jones'>reply to this comment
  8. Emily Jones says

    November 11, 2014 at 6:18 am

    Some fantastic ideas here! I have just enough room left in my little boys bedroom to implement some of these ideas. I have gone with a bright blue aeroplane theme as his bed has taken centre-stage in the room (similar to this; http://blog.cuckooland.com/cuckoolands-guide-bedtime-stories-aeroplane-collection/)

    to Emily Jones" aria-label='reply to this comment to Emily Jones'>reply to this comment
  9. Christina says

    January 2, 2015 at 8:37 pm

    Do you know the name of the idea table and legs when searching on the Ikea site?

    Also, I have a 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter. They have a huge playroom with lots of toys but it seems like they never want to go up there and play without me. Do you have any suggestions?!

    to Christina" aria-label='reply to this comment to Christina'>reply to this comment
  10. Lauren says

    January 25, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    I love this! My husband and I recently created our own play room for our daughter, you can see what we did here at my blog: http://www.mathmomwithablog.com, I loved these ideas and I do strive to have more educational things in our house. Thank you for your post, it was a wonderful read!

    to Lauren" aria-label='reply to this comment to Lauren'>reply to this comment
  11. Cyndy says

    February 3, 2015 at 8:41 am

    I am nodding at your changes. I care for my now “nearly 3 year old” grand-daughter and have had to continually change our play space to accommodate her changes in development. Her play space started out as a nook in a repurposed storage room in our lower level. Then we took off the door and expanded to the extra wide carpeted hallway outside the room. Soon an adjacent bonus/guest room was repurposed to provide more real estate for her toys and play. Now I’m in the process of reorganizing the whole area because the initial storage room area that was her “kitchen” has become too cramped. That room is, however, the perfect space to corral mess so it’s now in the process of becoming our “Art Café”. Thanks for great ideas!

    to Cyndy" aria-label='reply to this comment to Cyndy'>reply to this comment
  12. Marwa says

    September 12, 2015 at 2:49 am

    Hi
    I love your playroom
    I only have a question,i live in an appartment not a house but i still can make a separate playroom, a bedroom, a living room;my question is can i merge the living room with the playroom.
    I feel that i must be with the kids at their playroom although they can have some play by their own while i am having my time.
    So whats your opinion and advice
    Thanks

    to Marwa" aria-label='reply to this comment to Marwa'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      September 13, 2015 at 11:32 pm

      Are they still little? I think you can put your playroom wherever works for your family. My kids end up playing in ours and our family room but I also encourage them to play alone.

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  13. Kristen says

    January 24, 2016 at 10:13 pm

    Would you please tell me where you got the numbered flags or how you made them? 🙂 Thanks!

    to Kristen" aria-label='reply to this comment to Kristen'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      January 27, 2016 at 1:09 am

      I made them and here is the full tutorial:https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2011/08/easy-diy-number-flag-banner.html

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment
  14. Sheena Stoner says

    March 4, 2016 at 7:04 am

    We have our playroom/school room on the main level of our home and I love it! Even when my kids are playing alone, I love to be able to see them, and hear them…it is so precious! And I love having everything in reach. My problem is what to do when we have visitors? We have a pretty good understanding among ourselves about where things go, and not being destructive, but not everyone else does and I don’t want to always feel stressed when friends come over. Any suggestions on how to keep things accessible to my children, but not have every item strewn from one end of the house to the other by little friends?

    to Sheena Stoner" aria-label='reply to this comment to Sheena Stoner'>reply to this comment
    • Allison McDonald says

      March 6, 2016 at 9:07 pm

      Near the end of a playdate I usually offer a snack but not before everyone helps clean up, it’s an easy way of transitioning. The other option is to remove half of the toys so that the mess is more manageable.

      to Allison McDonald" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allison McDonald'>reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. CraftCrave | DigiFree | CraftCrave says:
    October 27, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    […] How To Set Up A Playroom Your Kids Will Use – 1 freebie(s)? […]

    to CraftCrave | DigiFree | CraftCrave" aria-label='reply to this comment to CraftCrave | DigiFree | CraftCrave'>reply to this comment
  2. KidStyleFile Moodboard November 2015 : Creative Kids Spaces - KidStyleFile says:
    November 1, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    […] via nordicdesign Bench seating and table via justrealmoms Bookcase and reading nook via rafa-kids Lots of natural light via notimeforflashcards Table and chairs via justrealmoms Magnetic wallpaper via […]

    to KidStyleFile Moodboard November 2015 : Creative Kids Spaces - KidStyleFile" aria-label='reply to this comment to KidStyleFile Moodboard November 2015 : Creative Kids Spaces - KidStyleFile'>reply to this comment
  3. What to do with your basement bonus room when you don't need a second living room - Basement Transitions says:
    December 22, 2015 at 12:17 pm

    […] Why not create a dedicated space for their toys in your new basement? For ideas on playroom necessities, click here. […]

    to What to do with your basement bonus room when you don't need a second living room - Basement Transitions" aria-label='reply to this comment to What to do with your basement bonus room when you don't need a second living room - Basement Transitions'>reply to this comment
  4. How to Create a Kids Playroom - Fun with Mama says:
    December 31, 2016 at 1:42 pm

    […] Setting up a playroom by No Time for Flashcards […]

    to How to Create a Kids Playroom - Fun with Mama" aria-label='reply to this comment to How to Create a Kids Playroom - Fun with Mama'>reply to this comment
  5. How to Help Kids Feel at Home After a Military PCS Move says:
    November 14, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    […] Love this learning station and numbered bunting from No Time for Flash Cards […]

    to How to Help Kids Feel at Home After a Military PCS Move" aria-label='reply to this comment to How to Help Kids Feel at Home After a Military PCS Move'>reply to this comment
  6. Kids Basement Play Area – Home Direct says:
    October 8, 2019 at 12:07 pm

    […] View Image More Like This […]

    to Kids Basement Play Area – Home Direct" aria-label='reply to this comment to Kids Basement Play Area – Home Direct'>reply to this comment
  7. Playroom Set Up - Playroom Ideas says:
    September 27, 2020 at 7:36 am

    […] How To Set Up A Playroom Your Kids Will Use. How To Set Up A Playroom Your Kids Will Use. notimeforflashcards.com […]

    to Playroom Set Up - Playroom Ideas" aria-label='reply to this comment to Playroom Set Up - Playroom Ideas'>reply to this comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search For Activities

Now In Paperback!

Buy NOW

All Activities

Become an Email Subscriber

Sign up above and receive all new No Time for Flash Cards posts directly in your email inbox.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Bloglovin

Copyright © 2008-2023 • No Time For Flash Cards - ACM Media LLC • Site Design by Emily White Designs