It’s so fun to watch your little one transition from baby to toddler! Designing a toddler-friendly playroom is not only fun, but it will help keep your toddler learning, active, and developing new skills
Sourcing the right toys
It’s important to be selective about the toys you choose to put in your toddler’s playroom. Many times, parents overbuy toys for their kiddos - what is often an expression of love, can be very overwhelming for a toddler.
We suggest picking five key toys at a time for your toddler. This helps minimize the decisions they need to make and can reduce stress during play time! After all, play time is all about fun!
Open-ended play toys are great options because they give your toddler lots of ways to play. Here are some items we like:
Figgy Play Couch: Made from eco-friendly materials and built in the USA, the Figgy is a fort-building play couch with velcro-connectors that make endless play possibilities. From building a castle or a race car ramp to being used as a reading nook, the Figgy is the perfect imagination station. Designed with parents in mind, the waterproof liners and luxury covers are easy to clean! Have a Newton crib mattress? When your toddler is done with a crib, you can upcycle it into a Figgy piece! It makes the perfect floor, roof, or slide.
Hape Wooden Dollhouse: Perfect, gender-neutral dollhouse for toddlers. Made from high quality materials, it’s designed to last. This is a great way for toddlers to pretend-play and learn about role playing. The open-side makes access easy and the larger wooden dolls and accessories are great for small hands. Hape has an array of different dollhouse add-ons you can purchase too!
Staplestein Stones: We just love these colorful stacking stones. They are great for kids developing balance and coordination, can be stood on, stacked, or sat on too! Kids love being able to manipulate them on their own. Combine play together with a Figgy and you have a super fun obstacle course. Stapestein makes a durable, safe product that will grow with your family for years to come.
HABA Building Blocks: Building blocks are a timeless classic for the playroom. Kids love to build and create with them - and they reap the cognitive and physical benefits along the way. Blocks are great for building spatial awareness, increasing gross motor skills, and tapping into the creative mind. The blocks by HABA are nice because they are larger, come in a variety of shapes, and are non-toxic. The natural color means they will match nicely in any space.
Creating a fun and personal play space
You’ll want to make sure your playroom is fun and personal to you and your family. The furniture, wallpaper, paint - whatever you decide to choose - should be a balance of your style and your kids.
Make sure that the components of your playroom are non-toxic and appropriate for small kids. Consider a look that will grow with them for several years.
Some people love the design part and others, like myself, struggle to make it all look cohesive. We love Little Boom Designs - a virtual nursery and playroom design service. The founder, Zoe Roscoe, is a mom herself and does a great job of creating an affordable way to get design help. One tip she gives for wall decor, “If you have framed artwork, swap out photos for new prints.”
Looking for more advice? Check out her design tips here.
Safety in play
Safety is so important for toddlers that like to get into things and be on the move. Here are a few things to remember.
If you have furniture in your playroom, make sure it is attached to the wall. You can buy dresser and bookshelf anchors that are affordable and easy to install.
Decide whether you want a gate or a way to close off access to/from the playroom. Safety gates can be a great way to keep kids out or in a space, should you need to.
Make sure sharp edges are toddler-proofed, that they don’t have access to things that might fall over like a standing lamp, and that any toys with small pieces are out of reach unless an adult is there to supervise.
Organizing your toddler's play areas
Try to organize your toddlers playroom into play zones! It’s a great way to create some structure and make play feel manageable. Depending on the size of your space, you may have several different zones. Some ways you can create these is by grouping like toys together and make the space feel dedicated by using furniture or rugs.
Play Kitchen Area
This might consist of a small rug, a table and a chair, a play kitchen, a book space or baskets for storing food and culinary items.
Vehicles area: Blocks, road or track pieces, bins, road sign decor, etc.
Incorporating Educational elements into your playroom
It’s fun and important to add in educational elements - and it can be really fun! Educational elements could be items ranging from flash cards to a map on the wall. Don’t overthink it, it’s anything age appropriate that helps your child learn. Maybe you have ABC’s on a poster or a fun print that shows different animals. We suggest using items that either grow with your child or can be easily replaced when they get too old.
