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Kids like to play and they like to be uninhibited when they do so. The walls of your home may become abstract works of toddler art, your floors become littered with toys that seem to have come to life because no matter how many times you pick them up they’re right back out ten minutes later. And every December those toys multiply because, of course, you got them everything on their Christmas list. 

Is there a solution?

Yes!

Creating a designated playroom or play area for your child, complete with a space for their abstract toddler wall-art. 

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Choosing a location and making it playful

The first step is simply finding space in your home to dedicate as your child’s play area. If you have a spare bedroom or an unused bonus room then choosing the location of your child’s playroom/area is simple. You can skip ahead to the next step.

If you don’t have an unused room in your home you may be thinking creating a play area is impossible for you, but it isn’t.

Option 1: Color- block an area in your child’s bedroom as a play-area. 

This is probably the most practical option. If your child’s bedroom is large enough to designate enough space that they don’t feel cramped while they play. You can delineate your play area with color blocking.  Pick a corner of the room and paint the play area walls with vibrant colors and place down a large, colorful area rug. 

Option 2: Dual Purpose spaces. 

If you don’t have a spare room and your child’s bedroom is also too small to contain their active playtime, consider utilizing a less used room in your home or a room where their playtime will be less disruptive. 

For instance, if you have a den area that is under-utilized consider sectioning off a portion in the same way that you would their bedroom. 

Step 2: Providing a canvas for toddler wall-art

Kids like to draw and paint on everything. Unfortunately, that includes your walls. 

You can toddler-proof your walls by using high-gloss paint to make removing their doodles a whole lot easier. You can also dedicate a wall to their artistic expression.

Option 1: Dry Erase Wall

Choose one of the walls of your child’s dedicated area and turn it into a giant whiteboard so they can doodle to their heart’s delight. 

You can install dry erase wallpaper such as Murals Your Way. This is a great option for young children who like to color. Murals Your Way provides a variety of coloring book style murals to choose from at a convenient price. If you would rather give your children more freedom to explore their imagination you can use dry erase paint such as Notable. 

Option 2: Chalk Board Wall

Chalkboard paint can be used to turn any surface into a drawing pad. 

When you’re picking up your paint, however, don’t confuse chalky finish paint with chalkboard paint. They are not the same thing.  Chalky finish paint will give your surface a matte-like finish but will not allow you to write on that surface with paint.

Chalkboard paint actually creates a chalkboard for your little ones to draw on. You can find Chalkboard paint in powder form or pre-mixed at your local crafts store. 

Step 3: Storage for the multiplying toys

The final step is giving your children a place to put all of their favorite toys. While a toy box may seem like the easy option, the truth is that children generally have several favorite toys. A toy-box doesn’t give them easy access to those toys and they may remove every single toy from the box searching for them. 

A better option is to use shelves for their favorite toys and a large storage box for the toys they don’t use very often. Make sure to install the shelves low enough for your child to reach. You can add in a few small crates for toys that won’t sit on the shelves by themselves.