Organising Space

[BattyNora]

Hi all, me again!

We move into our new home on 8th june and starting to try and work out what we will do in terms of childminding space. We have a dining room that I was going to make a playroom, the living room is big enough to fit a table in for us to use at mealtimes, and we also have a small conservatory that I was thinking of usong somehow, possibly as a way of making outdoor play free-flow when poss. I have 2 2x8 Ikea storage for the playroom, small table and chairs, easel, wooden market, kitchen, dolls bed etc and a large play/train table that would be useful to put plastic trays on for messy play. I also have a few rugs and loads of cushions and a canopy for a reading corner, and a box. Thinking of maybe using splitting the resources into two for playroom and conservatory but not sure how/if that can work. The landlord has left a large leather sofa in the conservatory at the moment...so maybe thinking of doing that as the reading and role play area and having more general toys in the playroom, but that limits what they can play with at one time. I did suggest making the smallwr dining room into the kitchen and letting me have the entire back of the house, but hubby wasn't too keen. No idea why!

What are your thoughts?

[sarah707]

I keep all the toys in the conservatory - the children play between the garden, conservatory and dining room.

I have a table and sofas in the living room so we eat and rest in there.

it works really well because I can shut the door on it all at night :D

[benandjerrys]

Your house sounds similar to mine. I have a front lounge that im going to try and keep toy free, then a back lounge which I will use as a playroom, this has doors through to a small conservatory with my dining table. I will use that for messy/creative play. Then there are doors out onto the garden. I like the idea of shutting the doors too at night.

[BattyNora]

Your house sounds similar to mine. I have a front lounge that im going to try and keep toy free, then a back lounge which I will use as a playroom, this has doors through to a small conservatory with my dining table. I will use that for messy/creative play. Then there are doors out onto the garden. I like the idea of shutting the doors too at night.

That's what I wanted to do in an ideal world - but the dining room is at the front of the house next to the kitchen, then you go through the lounge and that leads to the conservatory. I'm worried splitting toys into dining room and conservatory will limit the children's ability to choose what to do - ie, home corner, quiet time with a book, or general play. I think I may take your lead slightly and use the conservatory as a messy play and set craft activity room as I can bring the table in when I need, and it means there won't be loads of toys to distract constantly, and also use the sofa it as a kind of poor excuse of a 'indoor/outdoor' area and make the sofa the quiet space for outdoor play.

I guess I can try, and if it doesn't work I can always change it!