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Feathers and Stripes

Boston mom blogger | motherhood, baby + kids, family travel, + home

family, home · November 5, 2023

How to Create a Fun Playroom for Independent Play (Kids Under 5)

A great playroom is bright, comfortable, and includes age-appropriate toys. But (for us parents) it’s also organized and nice to look at! Today I’m sharing exactly what you need for a fun playroom for kids under five years old, as well as some tips on how to keep it organized.

How to Create a Fun Playroom for Kids Under 5

Start with safe flooring, like foam play mats or a rug. Especially if you are considering movement or climbing toys, you’ll want to have cushioned flooring. (Foam mats with moveable squares or area rugs work equally well.) Childproof the playroom, including covering outlets (or replacing them with child-friendly outlets) and removing any furniture with sharp edges. Always secure any furniture to the wall to prevent tipping.

For decor: Decorate the walls with fun, colorful decals or art that’s engaging for young children. Install a shatterproof safety mirror low on the wall to allow kids to see themselves and engage in self-discovery play. Kids love to dress up and see what they look like!

Use open shelving, storage bins, and cubbies to organize toys and keep them accessible for the little ones. Low, child-friendly storage makes it easy for kids to clean up. If everything has a place where it “lives” then kids can more easily see where things are supposed to be put back at the end of play. I really like the idea of playroom zones, or spaces, which I’ll explain below.

Zones to Include

Separating toys by “zone” makes it easier for kids to clean up. If they know that the play food goes with the play kitchen, they understand where to bring the play food back at the end of the day. If you don’t have a large enough room for all of these zones at once, think about employing toy rotation. With toy rotation, you might remove one toy for another, alternating the weeks when each toy is available for the kids to play with. Read on for my recommended playroom zones!

Imaginative Play

Dress up, toy kitchen, baby dolls, puppets, toolset, or a dollhouse are some examples of imaginative play. Anything that gives your kids the opportunity to use their imaginations, mimic daily life, and play out scenarios is great for their development! We have a baby doll area with a mini crib, high chair, and stroller that the kids love to play with.

Building

Kids of all ages love to build! Blocks, LEGO, magnets… whatever you choose, it should be stackable and let kids test out their thoughts on putting pieces together to make something. You can add shelves to the walls so they can display their creations (I love these acrylic shelves which we use as bookshelves but can fit small toys too.)

Indoor climbing or play structure/movement toys

Movement toys are especially great on rainy days when you have to be indoors (or for us in New England, snow days!). Our movement toys of choice are a Pikler triangle, balance beam, balance board, stepping stones, foam blocks, and a mini trampoline.

kid playing in his playroom
Our Pikler triangle, climbing board, balance beam, and stepping stones are all from Piccalio

Educational Toys

Puzzles, sorting (by color or shape), alphabet-related toys or number-related toys are all great additions for a playroom. A name puzzle allows pre-readers to recognize their name.

Playroom Art Station (Writing & Drawing)

Our favorite art zone items are a child-size table and chairs with mess-free art, like our favorite markers that only work on special paper. I buy these sets often because they’re just as great to have at home as they are to take on vacation, out to a restaurant, or in the car.

You can also include a dry erase board or chalk board, as well as a variety of arts and crafts.

Music

Instruments and audio books are both great for kids under 5. We like the Tonie Box for an age-appropriate audio book, and the little characters double as toys for imaginative play.

Playroom reading nook

Kids love books, whether they’re board books or pop up books or chapter books once you start to get into the elementary school age. A cozy reading nook creates a wonderful space for kids to relax. This may not be in the playroom but could be in their bedroom or another space of the house that isn’t necessarily for movement and more for relaxing. A place where they can go to when they’re ready to relax and have some quiet time is great for restorative time! My little ones love to find a cozy spot and listen to their Tonies.

We have the Nugget couch and use it for a cozy reading space! And here are some of our favorite stories to read and look at during the day:

Try to rotate toys periodically to keep the playroom fresh and exciting. It’s amazing how much kids will find a new setup exciting! I find it hard to commit to a true toy rotation system, but I will periodically switch out my kids’ toys so that instead of their kid-sized table and chairs and art projects, it might be all movement toys. (Especially if I know we’re going to have a lot of indoor time due to snowstorms or rain!) Or if it’s a time when they’re feeling crafty, I’ll take out some craft kits and put away all of the movement toys or the trucks.

The playroom should be a place where your children can have fun, learn, and express themselves in a safe and stimulating environment, whatever that may mean for your family.

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something using my links, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business!

Posted In: family, home · Tagged: kids

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About Alyssa


Hi, I’m Alyssa. Mom of three, wife, dog mom, blogger. Here I share tips and tricks on motherhood, focusing on baby gear reviews and the best stuff for kids, family travel, and home organization.

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