Playroom with a purpose

[TuneMyHeart]

I know there's lots of threads on playrooms, but we're thinking about kind of revamping ours. Anyone want to help me? :cool

We're thinking about making "stations" and changing them up every once in a while. Here's what I'm thinking so far:

a dress up corner with hooks on the wall for hanging costumes, and a trunk to put other dress up things in
a reading corner with a comfy place to sit (I need suggestions for inexpensive seating, particularly for me to nurse the baby)
a place to do playdough, duplos, to draw, etc.
a "playhouse" corner - some sort of storage for baby dolls and accessories

We also have a closet in the playroom that I would like redo for better storage, but I haven't been inspired yet...

I need a way to hang artwork, and I'd like some inexpensive wall decorations.

Pics coming soon!

[joystrength]

Some ideas:

Use "high up" storage for the closet and turn the bottom into a secret hideaway for your girls.

Use the doorway of the closet as a puppet "stage" (string a cloth across --- like a curtain).

Beanbags are great reading "snuggle" stations.

Every dressup area needs a mirror" -- even mirror squares from the discount store are GREAT!!!

Chalkboard on the back of the closet door or other area.

BBL/

[illinoismommy]

There is a picture of the one I just did (I plan to add butterflies :shifty ) in the picture place, it shows a cheap way to hang art!

Personally I like the flexibility to change the entire playroom up so I did not create stations. We rotate our toys so sometimes all the dress up clothes are not even out, etc.

[tempus vernum]

What fun - how is it going? :mrgreen

[TuneMyHeart]

I still need to take pics. I'm hoping to find some things on freecycle or craigslist...

[tempus vernum]

I had some thoughts to share if you aren't done yet --

inexpensive seating. We used to have a HUGE amazing beanbag and I bet all 3 of the kids and I could sit in it and I bet I could nurse one if they were nursing during the day. Now, we have a papasan chair and the kids and I can all sit in it (3 kids - ages 8.5, 7 and 3 ;) ) Papasan was about $100 at pier one a few years back ;) Mostly though we snuggle on the couch. The papasan is for bedtime reading now :mrgreen

Playdough, we keep in a carry bin and do on the kitchen table ;) Drawing and such goes on at kid desks or the kitchen table. If I had a budget for our playroom, I would buy a kids folding table from Walgreens with 4 chairs for playdough, drawing, duplos, etc -- actually it's pretty cheap.


For our closet storage, we have all wire shelving -- we put in brackets on the studs and it holds a lot of weight. I LOVE IT. If I had closet doors I'd be really happy ;)

[TuneMyHeart]

the papasan is a great idea! That would definitely be comfy enough to nurse in, and Ellie could fit too. :heart I'd like to put a couch in there, but there really isn't room.

[Happygrl]

For artwork, we have a clothesline along one wall. And I found an idea that I'm going to work on soon. Take picture frames w/o the glass and hang them on the wall (drill or nail through the frame to make it secure). Then use the black clips from the office supply store (binder clips, I think they are called?) and hang one inside each frame. Easy to switch art work in and out of. I'm going to hit the thrift shops and find several. I'm going to paint them, so it won't matter if they originally look the same or not. And that allows for posting artwork that is more 3-D in nature as well. I'm going to put a few in the playroom, a few in E's bedroom, a few in Ben's room and probably a few in our hallway.