Here are a few tips on how to create a play room and a living room in the same space.
Toys, I love them and hate them at the same time. I love that my kids love them, but I hate them all over the place.
We live in a house that has a front living room which then it leads right into the kitchen and into a smaller living area. The upstairs are only bedrooms which are considerably small. We decided not to keep toys in their rooms because of the small space and the distraction it was for them when it was time for bed. (see our DIY play kitchen here)
So what is the solution to making your living room also your play room and not be overcome with toys everywhere? Well I have a few tips for you below
How to Create a Living Room and Playroom Tips
1. Store Toys in Garage
So I'm sure this seems like a weird place to keep toys and I was totally skeptical when my husband suggested it. I was worried the garage would get messy with toys and I thought the kids (and me) would hate them being out there. However I told him I'd give it a try. Which leads to my number 2 tip
2. Pick just a few toys to have out at a time
My kids are very imaginative and will often use multiple type of toys to with at the same time. So they are usually allowed up to 3 toys to have out at one time. For example, our magnetic tiles are their favorite, everyday toy so they come out daily. Some days they like to use them with their plastic animals and other days they will use cars. Sometimes, it's a grand party of animals, cars and magnetic tiles. They have even used the magnetic tiles with their train set.
3. Clean up toys when done
This is so hard, but at the end of the day, they need to clean up their toys. If they're done with their toy and want something else, they must clean up their current toy. This teaches them to clean up everyday and helps keep the living room clean of toys.
4. Simplify your toys
Now, honestly, we don't have too many variety of toys. I mean, we have enough and probably too many for me, but we have taken the time to simplify and pick their absolute favorites. As I notice that they play less with a toy, we might decide all together that it's time to donate it to someone else.
4. Create a Kid Area
So we actually allow one toy to be in the house, and that is the kids play kitchen. Since we got toys out of their play area and out of site, the living room and play area is SO much more enjoyable for me and the kids. They tend to only play with a few toys at a time and it doesn't feel like the toys are everywhere. This solution isn't for everyone, but it has so far been great for us these past few years.
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