how important is a playroom?

JCM285

So DH and I have a three bedroom house. Upstairs is the master bedroom and guest room- soon to be the nursery. Downstairs by the living room is a room we have been using as an office. I was considering taking away a desk, moving the computer, and making most of the space a playroom. The real reason is I just don't want a million toys all over my living room. I don't think DH will be thrilled though, because it will mean moving furniture around. Is anyone else thinking of creating a play space somewhere in your house? Anyone with creative ideas?

bowlwoman

We have a three-bedroom house (two-storey) with an optional 4th bedroom that's an open loft. We use it as the kids' playroom, they share a bedroom, and the 3rd bedroom is my office (used to be the nursery).

We're having all kinds of discussions about what to do with space once baby arrives. We'll keep him in our room for the first few months anyway, but once we start getting into crib time I'm not sure what we'll do, because I really don't want to move my desk back into the playroom and have to share it with the kiddos again. We may wind up having a pack 'n play in our room with a crib in the office (off camara for my hellish meeting schedule), and have him nap in the pack n play and sleep in the office. Or we could move the kiddos into the loft for their bedroom and turn their room into the baby's room. Not sure yet.

But yes, a playroom is awesome to have toys out of the way. We do have a few small toyboxes to keep clutter away downstairs in the living room, and we have a bookcase downstairs that's used mainly for their books/art supplies. Everything else is upstairs in their room or the playroom.

Manateearmz

Be prepared for your entire house to be a baby zone for at least a year no matter how many designated areas you have.

DD is 3 and her playroom is known as her bedroom. She does have one bin of toys in a shelf in the living room. She can put whatever she wants in that bin and she cleans it up each night.

JulieSC81

We have a playroom and it is heaven! For the first 1.5 years, we lived in a smaller place and our living room had all the toys in it. It sucked. The playroom is awesome! Our computer is in the guest room but maybe you could put in in the living room or dining room or your bedroom? You could prob keep the toys in the nursery if you had too? I love our playroom!

kz's_girlygirl

We have a 4br house, all of the bedrooms are upstairs. Two of the bedrooms are in a little alcove so we plan to use one as the nursery, and the other as a playroom. (The only br being used at all right now is the one DH and I use.)

We hope to have two children someday, and then they will each have their own room and the third br will be the playroom/hangout/HW room when they are older

There will undoubtedly be some toys downstairs just for the sake of ease and supervision- my craft room (which is the second living room) will double as play area until LO is able to play without constant supervision.

perfectlove09

I think it's all dependant on how you teach your kids to treat the toys. First off we alternate between toys every few weeks. It's incredibly overwhelming for a toddler/baby to have sooooooo many toys that they are always strewn across the floor. They learn and concentrate much better when they have a few option to choose from, not dozens.
That aside, I started asking DD to help me clean up from a very early age. I'd say 11 months or so? She was able to walk which helped but right off the bat I started singing "clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere...." (An old Barney song) and I'd clean. She caught on REALLY fast and all anyone has to do now is start singing that song and she looks for something to clean lol.

I also ask that we put away one tog before getting out another. That more when we're playing with this Mr. Potatoe head that has a billion pieces, or blocks.

Don't get me wrong. We still have toys that end up out during the day but she helps me pick them up every night before bed. She helps me do laundry and the dishes. None of it is a chore to her. She LOVES doing it. Actually it's sometimes a pain lol. I think if you approach it that way from the beginning you won't have as many issues.

caden1206

I didn't have a playroom ever with my son. I have had the opportunity to have a playroom with my DD and it has been awesome. It isnt one of those things that is really necessary, but is awesome if you can have one. I say do it. If after a year it isnt something you guys use too often then convert it back to an office.

Meether

I think a playroom is essential, we use our informal living room. When we living in NYC, we got rid of our dining table and made that into her play area. It was a great decision. DD loves having everything organized and does most of the cleaning up herself bc everything has a designated spot. We let her bring toys into the living room and other rooms but she always returns them to the playroom bc then they seem out of place. We don't let her play in her room, she can read or do activities but no play with toys.

caden1206

Oh, and even though we have a great playroom i still have toys in my livingroom. Toddlers love to carry and push around stuff. It happens!!!

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leoandethansmom

For the first year or so the toys were kept to a minimum so it didn't really begin to become an issue until then. Now that he is (almost) 2, there are toys everywhere in our house. We don't have a garage so the outdoor toys (cozy coupe, wagon, tricycle) are kept in the kitchen area, his play kitchen and play table are set up in the living room, and the rest of his toys are kept in our guest room/play room. We used to keep all toys in the play room but as PP posted, it's hard to get anything done when your toddler wants you in sight at all times and all of their toys are in one room. Now that he is in the duplo blocks, wooden train set phase there are small pieces to everything and we require all items to be picked up before moving on to the next activity. At the end of the night some nights it look like a toy-nado hit the living room but everyone is alive so I don't really care!

JulieSC81

I agree with ppl that the toys WILL still get dragged out and scattered in your living room. But you can have your child start helping you put things back in the playroom before bed when they start walking. My playroom has doors so if its a little messy...i close the door lol. We dont let it get bad though. Our DS helps. Its just nice to have our adult looking living room. DS's bedroom is upstairs and there isnt enough room for his toys in there.

abcmom12

on the raised base of our fireplace, we bought this 8-cubby piece that fits there.  it holds DD books, puzzles, play food tin and more.  We also have a a few storage bins (big ones) that fit in the slots and it looks really attractive and low key.  best thing is, all her stuff is picked up, the big toys go back in her toy chets in her room every night (or when she's done playing with them) and we can re-purpose it later in a closet!

https://www.target.com/p/closetmaid-8-cube-organizer-black-ash/-/A-13217320#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=ClosetMaid+8-Cube+Organizer+

freakyfast

I do not plan to have a playroom.  I thought a playroom was their room.  I never had a 'playroom' growing up.  Maybe it is a foreign concept to me?  

Eora3

If you have the option,  I highly recommend it. I do not like the idea of the kids having toys in the bedroom because it doesn't promote good sleep habits and is a nightmare once they can get out of the crib. Bedrooms are for sleeping only. 

My living room is always a mess. It is great to only put out a few toy options at a time when you only have one child, however, when there are multiple children, it is just not that easy. We clean up at nap time and at the end of the day, but it would be so nice to have it all tucked away in a playroom. I have toddlers and their toys tend to be bigger (walkers, play kitchen/work bench type toys), so those cute little baskets and cubby ideas don't work.

BabyRN2009

I so wish we had a playroom. Toys.are.everywhere. :-/

perfectlove09

Eora3 said:

If you have the option,  I highly recommend it. I do not like the idea of the kids having toys in the bedroom because it doesn't promote good sleep habits and is a nightmare once they can get out of the crib. Bedrooms are for sleeping only. 

My living room is always a mess. It is great to only put out a few toy options at a time when you only have one child, however, when there are multiple children, it is just not that easy. We clean up at nap time and at the end of the day, but it would be so nice to have it all tucked away in a playroom. I have toddlers and their toys tend to be bigger (walkers, play kitchen/work bench type toys), so those cute little baskets and cubby ideas don't work.

I cringe when I think of the mess two little ones can make lol. We never did the walkers so that helped but she has the play kitchen and a rocking horse and a sit on push train which all take up a lot of space. We're in a small 2 bedroom condo. We have a small deck and a 1 car garage but space is so tight. DD fell in love with my best friends son's work bench so I'm afraid she's getting one fore Christmas bc my mom found out. I told them if they buy her anymore toys they have to buy us a bigger house lol

dianeg1017

We have a 5 br home so we are lucky enough to have a play room for DDage 5 After the baby is one we are turning her nursery into an extra bathroom and we have an office in the fourth bedroom so my daughters already been told that you have to give up her playroom or share a bedroom. She decided herself that she would rather share a bedroom and get the playroom. I love it. no matter what I do not allow toys my living room so if there was no playroom they would stay in their bedrooms.

perfectlove09

I'll add that I don't mind the toys near our living space. Dd is only 19 months and she LOVES to be near us. We don't watch tv with her up so our time is spent playing. And if I need to do dishes or laundry or cook she's right there in the living room. I can't imagine her ever going to her room to play alone. She's usually right under my feet haha

nesenotes

I have a small house as well. No playroom and it's really not necessary. I just don't buy her a lot of toys and that helps. But they will want you in whatever room they are playing in. So I just do a nightly sweep and put her stuff in a big bin by the fireplace. I actually need to clean it out and put baby stuff in the nursery and her stuff in her room.

iloveac

Currently we are using our living room to house a bunch of DS's toys. It's where he and I are the majority of our time home. We are doing an addition and will be adding a family room/ playroom on the back if the house. I think a playroom is ideal but of course it's not necessary.

vintagejjane

I would love a playroom, but it isn't necessary. We have toys organized through the small house. Using a toy rotation system has been a life saver.

bumpuser7846882

Out playroom is an extra wide hallway upstairs. I think what's more important than having a space to contain toys is having a space where you don't have to say "No!" A lot.

beachy6

I think a really important point that was brought up was that if you have a playroom, you will need to be there when they are small to supervise. If you don't mind sitting and not watching the news or doing anything else, this is a good choice.

We did both when DS was little. At first, we didn't have a playroom because we just all hung out together in the living room, which I actually preferred. There were toys everywhere, but no one expects for a house with a little kid to stay spotless and if they do, they probably wouldn't be at my house! No joke, there will be crap everywhere.

After DS accumulated a Thomas train set, we made the office into a playroom. While it was nice to have things all in one place, either DH or I would sit in there with DS and it's exhausting playing with a little one for an extended period of time. I loved it, but it was much nicer when DH and I could see each  other and give each other breaks. When we were in the other room, it was a little like, outta site, outta mind. Plus, toys ended up in the living room anyway.

When DS was about 7, we moved all of his things out of the playroom and into his bedroom. I actually prefer this arrangement and we'll do it this time, too. He would play in his room by himself or he would bring things down for us to all play together. Now, at 11, DS still leaves his stuff everywhere and we need to constantly remind him to pick up after himself, so even if he did have a game room of some sort, it would still be a disaster because he's 11 and 11 year olds are messy little people I have found! At least mine is.

allonsyalonso

We have a playroom. It's called "the house."

We actually don't have the space for one so it's not an option for us. I'm perfectly happy with toys all over the house, though.

JCM285

Thanks for your responses. I totally understand that the house will get messy at times (that happens now without kids), but I really want to seperate sleeping from playing and would also like to maintain my living room. DH and I talked about it and he is on board with us removing one desk from the office (we have two) and just making more space in there. I think it will also help the kid learn to put things away if there is a designated space for his/her things. By the way, @perfectlove09, love the Barney song!!. We sang that to the younger kids when I worked at a camp and will totally be using it with my own. I love the idea of introducing toys just a few at a time. Thanks for the ideas!!

kimba1976

I know I'm late to this, but I agree with most posters that, while nice, a playroom is not a necessity. We don't have a designated playroom, but we do have a big space between the kitchen and the door to the patio that functions as a play space. And once we got the pool baby proofed, we set up a little outdoor play area on the patio so DD can come in and go out and we can still see her at all times. She's usually content enough to play for a little while on her own as long as she can see one of us, but at her age (16 months) she still needs someone to interact with her. A separate playroom would be wasted unless we were willing to spend most of our time in there with her. Maybe when she's a little older.

I also sing the Barney song. As annoying as it is, it works! My daughter loves helping to clean up her toys at the end of the day. Long may it last...

mlee116

No playroom for us.  Honestly, even if we did, I don't know how much DS would use it because he wants to play close to us. Our house is kind of small (1500 sq ft) but kind of open, so its nice to for him to be able to play in the LR or sunroom so that we can keep an eye on him without having to be confined to a single room.  

I have 2 large baskets for toys/books in the LR and one basket in our sunroom.  He also has a toy box in his room.  Bigger toys stay in his room unless he uses them all the time.  I don't mind seeing the toys as long as they aren't strewn, so we've made a habit of picking them up when we're done and DS is already great about doing this. Also, splurging a little on nice baskets helps things look a little more put together instead of like kid central.     

klonga14

We converted our dining room into a playroom. It is gated on both sides and a room where I know the kids are safe and where we can keep all of their stuff. We just finished our basement and I have half their toys down there- but if I need to cook or clean they can be on the same level as me and I don't have to worry. They love it. I'm anxious to have my dining room back eventually but this playroom gets way more use than a dining room ever would!

brittandjp

I think this is entirely your preference and how well you maintain your living areas.

We have a four bedroom house, but all the bedrooms are upstairs. After this baby is born, that will leave one extra bedroom which we use as a guest bedroom. Most of DD's toys are in what we call our playroom, but technically it's just a part of our front room. Our front room is huge. It's technically the formal dining room and the bay window area we use to use as a formal front room sitting area. However, it's now become the "playroom" and it's perfect for us. We don't leave her toys spread out all over the house. We're very clean and pick up throughout the day. For us, this makes more sense than keeping all her toys in her bedroom or another room upstairs. Though I will say, it drives me crazy when I'm at someone's house and the kids toys are scattered all throughout the house.

Ideally, if we had a single level home and 5 bedrooms, we'd have a playroom.

drpayne

I think you have a long time to figure it out.  Babies really don't have a ton of toys.  You also can't leave them alone.  With a 3 year old and 18 month old, I'm thankful we have one but we survived without one until we moved last October.  Before that, we had one storage unit in the oldest's room (he was still in a crib so no playing at night) and some baskets in the living room.  If we'd had a playroom from the beginning I doubt we'd have used it much - I wanted the little ones where I could see them every second. 

RayRay007

We finished our basement after DD was born, so before that the play room was the living room. We tried really hard to keep it an adult-ish space. After the basement was finished, we made a play 'corner' down there behind the couch. That way we have more of a formal living room upstairs, and the family room downstairs, but the toys are strewn all over the place, they are mostly contained to a corner out of sight.