Exciting news! Huckleberry was featured in an article on RedFin, the Home listing and brokerage gurus. The article is Make Space for Creativity! 22 Awesome Playroom Ideas for Kids - by Alison Bentley.
Below is an excerpt of this article, of my favorite Top 10 Ideas for your Kids Playroom, with practical tips from other kid-wise folks. You can also read the full article here.
#1. A playroom should be a space that fosters creativity and invites kids to use their imagination. Always have a reading area, keep “pre-made” toys to a minimum and stock-up on items like legos, magnatiles, clay, crayons, paper, paints, and essentially anything that allows your child to build and create their own ideas. – Dr. Bethany Cook, PsyD, MT-BC (“Dr. B”), Dr. Bethany Cook
#2. Highlight your children’s finds. Give your nature-loving child a special place to display their collection of treasures. A simple floating shelf is a great way to showcase the rocks, feathers, pine cones, and sticks that make it home after walks. Add a small table and chair with a magnifying glass, nature-themed books, and a sketchbook and pencil set to encourage more discovery of the natural world. – Cinthia Drake, Children’s House Montessori School
#3. Less can actually be more in the playroom. Leave as much open space as you can so your kiddos have room to play, jump around, create, and do what they do best. And when choosing a rug for the space, make sure it’s something with a low pile – it’s much better for building blocks, train tracks, and figurines. – grOH! Playrooms
#4. Have inspirational art in the space. In making a creative space for a kids playroom, I think it’s important to have inspirational pieces around the room to encourage creativity. Having art on the walls that show children or animals going on adventures will spark imaginations and inspire them to have their own adventures, whether real or make-believe. – Carrie Tomaschko, Sweet Melody Designs
#5. Chalk it up to creativity. Use chalkboard paint to create a space for creativity to flow in the playroom. You can paint a whole wall, the back of a door, or the side of a prominent piece of playroom furniture. Just be sure to have the convo with the kiddos that not all walls are a canvas. – Kaz Weida, A Sweet Little Life
#6. Learn the art of toy rotation. Separate your children’s toys in bins, and depending on the amount of toys they have, rotate the bins weekly or bi-weekly. Make sure to put away the current toys before introducing the new bin. This guarantees a fresh supply of “new” toys that haven’t been played with for a while. – Toyventive
#7. Make sure that everything is accessible to your child independently. You can sit on the floor to see what your child will see at their height. Be sure they can reach everything they need without having to come and find you to help them because accessibility is the key to a successful playroom that will encourage loads of independent, creative play. – Little Lifelong Learners
#8. Color is key. When creating a playroom that is both fun and functional, we say, embrace all the color that comes with your child’s toys and books and make the room a “happy place”. We also love the idea of finding something specific that your child is drawn to like pretend play or reading to create a special interest area in the room. Reading nooks, dress-up corners and even climbing walls have become popular additions to the playroom. Lastly, don’t forget to invest and plan for proper storage so that your child can learn that when everything has a place to be stored, the space can be organized and calm at the end of each day. – Pam Ginocchio, Project Nursery co-founder
#9. Bring in a hanging yoga swing. My most valuable asset in creating a fun successful playroom for my 2 teenagers on the Autism spectrum is our hanging yoga swing. My often manic daughter will swing for hours and burn off excess energy right before bedtime for a great night sleep. My son enjoys the coffee snug feel and I have certainly enjoyed helping them get exercise in spite of their physical limitations. – Colleen Spengler, Middle Kids Toybox
#10. Think “non-toxic” and “eco-friendly” Because you’d be surprised how many harmful aliens are lurking around inside your home. But it’s an easy fix – just try to use all natural materials, like solid wood furniture (instead of MDF), cotton and wool textiles (instead of poly fibers), certified foams, and real plants. Consider all of the elements of the room, the Play Tents, Rugs, Cushions, Blankets, Bookcase, etc. - then find a natural alternative.
Beware that foam is a major hiding spot for dangerous chemicals. So, intentionally, seek out the ‘certified’ non-toxic foams for cushions, play chairs and play mats, etc.. Also, know that eco-friendly and non-toxic are not the same thing. Watch out for unlabeled paints, finishes and “treatments” – this is secret code for: chemicals were added. If the product description doesn’t clearly say what it’s made of, or where it came from – or doesn’t mention their sustainable practices, or warranties, etc. – then it’s not our friend.
Finally, go ahead and add a few plants and musical items to the room. Plants are not only beautiful decor, and great learning lessons for kiddos on how to keep a plant alive, but they also freshen the air naturally. Plus, music is just good for the soul (and the plants). – Sarah Willson, Huckleberry Kids Rooms
Thanks Alison - Great job on the article!