Kids' Playroom Ideas For a Small Space

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Here's a look at how we created a play space for our kids in the small loft of our home. We maximized the vertical space, included lots of shelving and storage, a place to display their artwork and a cozy reading corner.  I adore how the space turned out, but what I love most are all the memories that come from it. It's one of our favorite spots to play games and read books together.  Best of all, we end each day in the reading corner for our bedtime routine.

I'll show some photos of what it looked like when we just had one little toddler to what it looks like now that the kids are 7 and 4.

What's in the playroom:

• Bookcase - We got a white bookcase and added teal paint to the backboard.
• Road Transportation Rug
• Pendant Lamp
• Magnet Board

• Small Framed Prints – I made various prints and framed them, but only the “So many toys so little time..” is pictured
• Wall Prints – The frame of animals around the magnet board and alphabet squares were printed on 8.5×11 cardstock, cut and assembled on the wall using masking tape.
• Kids' Art & Photo Display (below) – This is custom-made by Chris. Here's how he made it:
• Use trim molding from the hardware store. Cut and assemble into a frame.
• Paint it grey.
• Screw 4 screws equal distance along the left and right sides of the frame.
• Wrap galvanized steel wire around each screw, pull taught and wrap to screw on opposite side.
• Use clothespins to hang kids artwork or photos. 

• Reading Corner – The kids love to read; there’s no denying it. For this reason, I wanted to make a cozy little reading corner for them.

• Pillow Matress - I made this cozy pillow mattress for us to sit on while we read. The version I made is open on one side with a velcro closure, making it super easy to remove the pillows and wash the cover. Here's free tutorial for a similar pillow mattress.
• Book Holder
• Cut 2 large pieces of fabric to the desired size of your book holder. This will be for the front and back.
• Cut and sew pockets to the front.
• Sew front and back together, leave opening on one short side.
• Cut foam core board to the size of book holder.
• Inserted foam core board into opening.
• Seal shut usin hot glue gun.
• Cushioned Wall (under book holder)
• Cut two rectangular pieces of fabric to desired size.
• Layer the two pieces of fabric on top of each other and sew grid lines, leaving the outside edge open. I made ours 6 panels wide and 2 panels high.
• Cut foam core board to the same size as panels and insert into each panel.
• Stuff each square with Poly-Fil.
• Seal openings shut with hot glue gun.

• Storage Boxes – These boxes were purchased from Ikea but they are no longer offered. These are similar boxes that would work also. I printed these animal illustrations on paper and transferred them onto foam sheets (by pressing firmly on the paper while tracing the face). Cut them out with an X-acto knife and hot glued them to the box. Simple, but it completely changes the look of the boxes and adds personality to the playroom.

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make a fun space for your own kiddos. If you found this useful or have any questions leave us your comments below, we love hearing from you!

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