Tag Archives: clean up

Playroom

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I know I promised these photos last night but I just ran out of time, better late than never.

Girl’s Section
We had these shelves from Ikea that we haven’t used in years. They are perfect for storing some of the girl’s toys. I hung them about 40″ from the ground so that Claire, our older daughter, could reach things on them but our little destructive 18 month old, Mary, wouldn’t be able to. Instead of having their dress-ups in a box or container we went out and bought two coat racks to hang them on. The dresses are great to display and it makes it easier for them to find that perfect dress. There is also a mirror on the left so they can admire themselves in their beautiful gowns. They have spots to park their new strollers, and other toys underneath the shelves.

This was a great purchase that we made a few years ago, again from Ikea. It’s a great bookshelf that holds a ton of stuff. We got the colorful bins at Target that fit perfectly in the bookshelf. This helps with easy playroom cleanup. We just pull out the bins and throw everything inside.

 

Boy’s Section
The boy’s section is a lot simpler since my boys don’t really play with toys anymore. Give them a soft spot to sit down on and a Wii and they are happy kids!

This is their new game Skylander: Spyro’s Adventure. Those two up there are actually those two down there!

The kids also love to color and draw so the table and chairs next to the couch is perfect for that.

 

We need to do a lot more to spruce up the playroom, especially on the walls. We have some ideas so stay tuned.

Posted by Greg

The Great Toy Clean Out

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My wife and children might say that I am slightly completely neurotic when it comes to cleaning. Hey don’t fault me for liking things clean and tidy! Anyway, after Christmas when all the presents have been opened, the kids have cheerfully played with all their new toys for hours and you and your wife have finally taken that much-needed nap, it’s time for what I am calling the Great Toy Clean Out.

Over the course of a year we tend to accumulate useless toys with many parts that never seem to stay in one place. The worst offenders are those lame Happy Meal toys that your kids just have to have every time you are cruising through the drive through window. So why not use the “spirit of giving” to coerce your children into giving away some of their old toys to make room for their new ones?

We had a good time the other day going through all the toys in the playroom and deciding which toys we just had to keep and which ones we could give away. The kids did a great job of cleaning out and they got really excited about the fact that their toys would be going to kids that don’t have as many toys. It was both a great lesson in giving at this time of year and an extra present for dad because the playroom has never looked better!

I also strongly believe that if your playroom isn’t well-organized it’s hard for the kids to really play there. They need to be able to find their toys in order to be able to play with them! If there are just too many, then they are going to get bored and come and find you in search of a new activity.

I don’t have pictures right now of the newly “remodeled” playroom but I will post some tonight. I think the key to a great playroom is designated areas. In our case we created a boys and a girls area, not to create separation between the two genders, well kind-of, but more importantly a section where the boy’s toys can reside and place where the girl’s toys can reside. You will see more of what I mean when I post pictures.

My challenge to you is take a long hard look at those toys that are overcrowding your playroom and clean them out. There are lots of kids out there that would love to get their hands on some of your toys!

Posted by Greg