When we moved in October last year, the girls were just about to turn 2 and I organized the house into play areas for them. One main advantage of the play area was that they had a place to play on the two levels of the house and could be with us no matter where we were.
However, as the girls have become more mobile over the last 10 months, so have their toys. The house slowly became a huge toy zone that was a mess faster than I could pick-up. It was time for a change in our toy organization.
Lesson 1: Be flexible. What works for 2 year olds does not necessarily work for 3 year olds.
Lesson 2: Recognize their changing abilities. The play areas worked for my 2 year olds but as 3 year olds they are stronger and faster. Which means their toys can be carried and spread further around the house
The solution: A PLAYROOM
Do I have a room to convert into a playroom? At first glance, no. But I hate having un-used rooms in my home and the formal dining room was definitely unused but perfectly positioned to be a playroom. It's close enough to the kitchen and living room for us to hear them and for them to play independently while still knowing we are nearby.
The fix: Swap the play area in the living room with the dining area. We moved the dining set to one end of our "very long" living room and converted the formal dining room into a playroom.
We now have a playroom and toy clutter is now (mostly) confined to that portion of the house. We still have the kitchen table where we have most meals and haven't lost use of dining set either. WIN-WIN
UPDATE: I just realized that these pics are a bit dated. I have since added a rug to protect the hardwood floors as well framed pictures of family members.
However, as the girls have become more mobile over the last 10 months, so have their toys. The house slowly became a huge toy zone that was a mess faster than I could pick-up. It was time for a change in our toy organization.
Lesson 1: Be flexible. What works for 2 year olds does not necessarily work for 3 year olds.
Lesson 2: Recognize their changing abilities. The play areas worked for my 2 year olds but as 3 year olds they are stronger and faster. Which means their toys can be carried and spread further around the house
The solution: A PLAYROOM
Do I have a room to convert into a playroom? At first glance, no. But I hate having un-used rooms in my home and the formal dining room was definitely unused but perfectly positioned to be a playroom. It's close enough to the kitchen and living room for us to hear them and for them to play independently while still knowing we are nearby.
The fix: Swap the play area in the living room with the dining area. We moved the dining set to one end of our "very long" living room and converted the formal dining room into a playroom.
We now have a playroom and toy clutter is now (mostly) confined to that portion of the house. We still have the kitchen table where we have most meals and haven't lost use of dining set either. WIN-WIN
UPDATE: I just realized that these pics are a bit dated. I have since added a rug to protect the hardwood floors as well framed pictures of family members.
