Playroom & Toys

Selecting a room in your home to act as a playroom is only one small part of creating the perfect play space for your children – what really matters is how you dress and furnish that room, the toys you purchase, and the décor and soft furnishings you add to create the balance between chaotic playtime and rest.

Popular ways to decorate and furnish a playroom

The playroom should be the place in your home where decorative style is not an influencing factor – instead, it should be a place full of vibrant colour and patterns; characters and themes that your children love, and which inspire their creativity. One of the best ways to do this is with a plain wall which features a border running across the middle of the wall to add some extra life and depth to the room – for example an under the sea theme or a pirate theme.

The choice between curtains and blinds is another one you need to make, and while curtains tend to add more colour and texture to a room, we recommend opting for blinds which hang away from curious hands – minimising the risk of accidents.

Then we come to soft furnishings – armchairs, beanbags, and other furniture items which provide comfort and give your children somewhere to sit when they want to do some colouring or read a book. Giving these areas as much focus as the fun corners of the room is important in helping your child develop a healthy balance between work and play, quiet time, and noisy playtime. Where possible, consider adding a thick pile rug in the room to add an extra layer of comfort and warm welcoming atmosphere – though we always recommend making sure this is not something you want to keep in perfect condition, as a playroom is likely to get messy over time.

The best toys for a playroom

The best toys for your playroom will largely depend on the age of your child, as you progress from the alphabet games of toddlers through to the smaller pieces of Lego and barbie accessories of an older child. What never changes however is the power of imagination and make believe, and so toys which replicate real life will always be popular with children. Consider investing in a few different home units, for example a play kitchen and a baby doll with a crib, to give your child an outlet for their dreams of grown up life, and encourage them to play with others where possible to enhance their social skills.

More than anything, make sure the toys in your playroom feed their own desires and interests – and don’t try to force them to play with things that don’t interest them.

Ensuring the highest levels of safety in your playroom

Half the fun of a playroom comes in making sure it is safe enough to leave your children to their own devices without constantly worrying about them – so we recommend looking into a series of safety precautions depending on their age and mobility. Firstly, if your children are very young then think about putting a child locked gate on the door to ensure they can’t escape and injure themselves elsewhere in the house. Don’t put anything they might try to reach up high, and especially not if the unit the thing is balanced on is at all unsteady or in a position where it might knock something else down.

And finally, spend time researching the best inspiration for playrooms online, and take the time to decide what would really delight your child. From the décor to the toys available, the internet is full of ideas – many of which can be picked up at department stores and children’s / toy stores.