Upstairs playroom???

[Shelbs]

Hi everyone,

I am currently doing my pre reg course and hope to have completed it soon so I've been thinking about setting up my home and storage ect. I have little room downstairs for a whole load of toys ect but I have a spare bedroom upstairs which I would really love to turn into a playroom to keep everything together. I would be using the playroom once all children have arrived (so I'm not having to keep answering the door and bring all children down with me) but for creative play, mealtimes and quiet time I'll be using my living room and will bring a few toys and books down. I have an upstairs toilet and a downstairs toilet so either way a toilet will be accessible. I also have a large garden so we will be out each day too but just wondering if any childminders have an upstairs playroom? How does it work for you? Will ofsted have a problem with an upstairs playroom? And also how would I go about changing nappies in the upstairs playroom?

Any info or ideas would be brilliant.

Thank you!!!

[Rick]

You have the same situation as me. I have an upstairs playroom and it works well. It's particularly useful to keep most of the toys in although I have some down stairs. Also I like the freedom of being able to put posters and the like on the walls without being scowled at! I have mealtimes downstairs.

Anything is possible if you have risk assessed it and have judged it acceptable.

[FloraDora]

I have an upstairs 'den' - it's where I have a futon sofa, music playing equipt a relaxing fish tank and bookshelves - essentially it is a bedroom, but my DH and I made it into a den when the boys left home - a place where you can go and play music on your own and read and the fish tank makes it very relaxing. A lot of the shelves now have childminding equipt and the spare unit sections too. We use it as an alternative room - I think a bedroom is too small to confine little children to but for occasional play they love it. I also have a big landing so I set up role play there and the smallest bedroom in our house has always been the music room with the piano and instruments in so when they play in the den they also play in the other areas.
During my OfSTED inspection I had taken a LO upstairs to change so the other child came too and the inspector - whilst I changed the LO in the bedroom the inspector talked to another in the den ( I first checked this was ok with her) and I heard her asking what she liked to do - the LO talked about the book shelves, her favourite book, cushions the fact that it is a big treat to sleep in there and how to look after fish..after, I got DH to bring up the book focus activity which I had set up downstairs and we completed it up there( LO was happy and I didn't want to change venue) - Mrs O was happy. She chatted to me after the adult book focus as the children free played on the piano and drums - showing her by their confidence around the instruments that this was an every day activity.
It works well for me, but the downstairs rooms are also used, it's just an alternative place - it works well when I want a quick clear up downstairs though - we end the day on those days in the den whilst Dh tidies downstairs. I sit on the landing chair whilst they sleep and as they wake they can use the den to play in too.
All my home is available to them, just as if they lived here and I like this, so do the parents, I would not be happy confining them ( or me) to one small room to play, and the den does not have easy access outside, but for an extra storage space come room to do activities in it is good. Practising climbing the stairs independently is a brilliant regular activity too!