During the winter months, we all spend more time indoors, and it is when your child’s playroom starts working overtime. A simple budget-friendly makeover to your playroom, can make it feel more fun and enjoyable, without having to spend a fortune.
Cheap And Cheerful Wall Updates Kids Will Love
Start by choosing some fun wall decals. Allow your kids to choose snowflakes, animals or seasonal patterns, that they can peel and swap as the seasons change, without ruining the paint or wallpaper on the walls. They’re so easy to do, your children can actually get involved and do it themselves, which they obviously can’t do with normal paint.
On a wall, roll on a strip of chalkboard paint at your child’s height, so they can draw scenes, practice letters, and can be erased clean to reuse over and over.
You can also create an art gallery, using thrifted frames or clip rails, to display your kid’s artwork, and rotate drawings and paintings weekly, to keep the room feeling new.
You can try painting simple colorful murals on the wall, with mountains, penguins, or rainbows, with painter’s tape for crisp lines, and it will totally transform the entire room.
Add A Small Table Zone For Crafts And Puzzles
When your playroom walls feel fresh and playful, make a specific area for crafts and puzzles. Pick a compact brightly coloured table, and add kid friendly seating, like two sturdy stools or stackable chairs that wipe clean.
Attach a low shelf to the wall, or get yourself a rolling cart for storing your craft supplies. Use cups for crayons, a caddy for scissors, and labelled trays for paper.
For puzzle storage solutions, slide puzzles into zipper pouches, photo boxes, or shallow drawers, so you don’t lose any jigsaw puzzle.
Add some table decorations without clutter, like a wipe-clean placement, a small tin for pencils, and clip-on lamp for darker afternoons.
DIY Sensory Play That Keeps Kids Busy Indoors
DIY sensory play gives kids a hands-on way to burn energy and stay focused without a screen.
You can set up sensory bins and pots with rice, dried beans, or shredded paper, then add some scoops, funnels, and small toys for instant tactile play.
Add some reusable DIY materials, like cardboard toilet roll tubes, bottle caps, and measuring cups, to stay budget-friendly, and low on clutter.
Rotate the playroom’s theme weekly, like arctic animals, construction vehicles or bakery, and label up a simple “dump zone” tray, to attempt to keep all of the mess contained.
Make some interactive games, like hiding letter tiles to spell names, bury numbers for a quick math, or set a short timer, for them to find “five blue items”.
You can also include some more creative tasks, like homemade play dough, salt dough ornaments, or slime.
Store everything in clear bins and tubs, so set-up takes only a few minutes, and clean-up doesn’t feel overwhelming at the end of the day.
Cozy Lighting That Feels Warm On Dark Afternoons
Winter afternoons mean dark afternoons, and you can make your playroom feel warmer and cosier, by adding some soft low-glare light.
Add some cute string lights along a bookshelf, or window, or tuck a couple of fairy lamps on low shelves, so the lights brighten up the crafting area.
Swap cool bulbs for warm white LEDs you already own, to create cosy corners, by aiming light at walls or ceiling, not straight into their eyes.
Add some warm blankets and floor cushions to encourage some quieter play, or for bedtime story sessions.