Playroom & Playspace Organization and Essentials

First, let’s define what a playroom or play space is. A playroom is a room in a house that is set aside for a child to play in. A play space is an environment where play can take place. You can create a play space anywhere in your home. 

You do not have to have a bonus room or a really large space to be able to create an environment for your child to feel safe, creative and inspired. All you need is space that they can call their own. An environment where play can take place. Giving them this type of space allows them to take ownership of what is theirs and gives them a sense of independence to manage what belongs to them. 

As I started organizing my son’s playroom I kept a few things in mind. One, assessing the size of the space that I have available to me. Two, the different themes of toys that he has acquired. Three, how my little one would be able to access his toys to play and to put them away. Four, making the space safe, and five, creating a space that was inviting and interesting for him to be in. 

Find a space in your house that can hold your child’s toys, books and activities. The space can be a corner of a room, a child’s room itself or a spare room. 

​The corner of a room is a great place to create a space for your child. A corner is a great place for a round rug to add a soft touch and mark the space that is your child’s. In a corner you can utilize vertical space. Wall bookshelves are great for housing books and/or a small 4 block cube can be used to set toys and activities inside. Making these things visible and accessible will help your child engage. You could also use a small table that your child can stand and play as well with a basket that slides underneath.

The child’s room can also be used as a play space. Create an area within the room that holds the toys. Often times this ends up being a corner or a spare wall. The idea here is to create a space where they have their toys, a space where they have their clothes, a sleeping space, etc. 

A spare room that can be used as a playroom is a great option as well. Here you have more freedom to put things in different corners and add a bigger rug for them to play on. No matter how big the space having small zones can help teach your child where things go and encourage play.  

Also, note that the area above is usually his “tool zone” where he can find his tinkering toys. In this photo it is being used as a coloring station. We just took the tools off the table and taped down some paper to color.  You can multi-purpose zones! 

​Making zones for your little one can be one great way to make playing not only fun, but teach them skills of where things belong. 

The idea of zones is to put like things in one place. For instance in the above picture all of the cars are located on the table and in the basket below. His little scooter is also parked beside the table. We call it the “transportation zone.” He knows if he wants to find a car or truck or put one away this is where it will be. 

We also have even smaller “zones” with smaller items. We have a basket for his sensory balls, a music bin, a blocks basket, a basket with his train set, and a bin with his legos. 
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Safety, safety, safety. There is so much importance in creating a space that is safe for your child. The key here is to be able to feel safe leaving them to play at will not for super long periods but you do want to be able to encourage independent play. Even if you are near by on your computer, reading a book or putting in a load of laundry you want to know that your child is not going to harm themselves.

​Make sure all outlets are plugged and cords secured. There should not be any small or sharp objects within reach and all toys should be suitable for their age and ability to handle.
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A space that is pleasing to the eye will not only encourage your child to play and engage, but it will also encourage them to spend more time in the space. Go easy on the eyes with neutral storage bins and storage cubes. Children’s toys tend to be bright and colorful and if the storage is neutral the items will stand out to the child. 
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The goal here is to create a space that is calm, engaging, interesting and fun! 

There are so many organizing choices when it comes to organizing a child’s play space.  Try not to get to overwhelmed. I have found so many great deals on Amazon and at Target. A lot of the things you may already have around your house. I know for me some of the bins I used were given to me with shower gifts in them or I had put them on my registry.  A registry is a great place to put bins and baskets because a lot of time people will use them as wrapping.  ​Also, if you have a Ross, Marshall’s or TJMaxx, all great places to find baskets and bins for inexpensive. I know it can get pricey! Get creative. 

​Another must that I love to organize in and has been in every playroom I have organized is “the cube,” as I call it. The  Threshold Organizer Shelf comes in 4 cubes, 6 cubes and 8 cubes so it is good for any size space and it is affordable and so easy to put together. I use the cube to change out toys for Jack so that he can engage with different toys and activities. Once he looses interest and stops playing with a toy I change it out then change it back, and the cycle continues.  
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Below I have listed my favorite Amazon and Target finds that I personally use and love. All of them are affordable and good quality. ​
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The TOYS!!! All of these toys are of good quality and they encourage independent play and creation. 
I am still adding to my list and every time I find a gem I link it for you so you can always come back here for suggestions and recommendations. Please email me with any questions that you have about your playroom or the toys that I have listed. Most all my toys come from Amazon because I can read reviews and they just have SO MUCH that stores don’t carry! All of the toys make amazing gifts as well! You can find them below in “Shop My Amazon Products” button. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here. ​​