Whether you want to give your children their own space in the family room or another living area, or you just want to add more fun to a playroom or bedroom, these ideas will come in handy.
Create an art center
Remove the glass from a large picture frame. You can use an old frame that you don’t need or pick one up at a yard sale or thrift store. Replace the glass with heavy cardboard and add a large clip at the top. Paint or decorate as desired. Place it on a small table or desk so your child can use it as an easel and provide a chair or stool. If you plan to let your child paint, protect your floor with a canvas drop cloth or plastic shower curtain liner. Give your child muffin tins to use as paint pans. To store crayons, markers, pencils and other art utensils, hang a sixteen-pocket shoe bag, preferably a plastic one or one that is machine washable, from the front of the table or desk or on the back of a chair.
Learning Center
Paint two large cookie sheets in bright colors and hang them on the wall. Give your child magnetic letters and numbers, and help them learn the alphabet, spell their names, count, and add. You can cover a third sheet with felt and then provide felt cutouts of trees, animals, the sun, moon, and stars, or anything else your little one will enjoy. Add small pieces of Velcro to the back of each cutout and let your children create fanciful scenes.
Reading Center
Purchase or build child sized bookshelves and provide comfy seating, such as a mini recliner, inflatable furniture, beanbag chairs, or floor pillows. Setting aside a special reading area that is comfortable, child friendly, and filled with children’s literature, will encourage your child to love books and reading.