Playroom Ideas: 30 Wonderful and Whimsical Kids Playrooms

These stunning playroom ideas are bound to inspire a play space transformation.

After all, with kids at home for the foreseeable future, and with public spaces like playgrounds, soft plays and other kids areas closed, now is as good a time as any to create a fun kids zone at home, that's separate from the kids room.

We've collated a few of our favourite play rooms that have featured in the pages of Livingetc.

Some of these playroom ideas are perfect for little ones; like chalkboard walls for doodling, ladders and indoor tree houses for climbing, and slides for zooming down. There are plenty of ideas for bigger kids too, with reading corners, music stages and star wars paraphernalia. To encourage your kids to exercise, create a sporty zone. For example with a basket ball hoop, and/or hanging boxing pillow. And then there's pool tables, football tables, game machines and Pac Man style decor too, perfect for those awkward older ages and teens. Or, when in doubt, an oversized corner sofa like the featured Mah Jong modular sofa for Roche Bobois is perfect for binging Netflix and Peppa Pig.

Here are 30 cool playroom ideas to get you inspired...

1. Boat house

This indoor treehouse is in the shape of a boat, complete with a wooden ladder, portholes for peeking out of, and decorative rope lighting (sourced from Etsy), hanging from the ceiling. There’s also a stash of books neatly displayed in the window seat, to encourage reading.

2. Swing seat

Gloss white walls bounce light around, making this attic playroom feel clean, bright and inviting. The swing seat makes this room a favourite spot to hang out and play in.

3. Metal chute

The metal chute starts upstairs and twists down the house to a downstairs play room; it’s safe for kids and big enough for young-at-heart parents.

4. Creative walls

Forget off-the-peg posters – instead, give your kids creative free reign and allow them to use their own artwork to decorate their space. After all, there really is nothing cuter than a lovingly home-made potato print or stick person drawing. A chalkboard has perennial play appeal, so take it one step further by painting a whole wall with blackboard paint. And, because it can be constantly changed, it will last right through to their teens. Adding a blackboard-painted wall to an otherwise simple white room is an easy way to introduce an eye-catching feature, and will allow the kids to get creative. 

5. Under stair space

Interior designer Naomi Clarke transformed the under stairs space in this basement into a little fairy house chalet – for the children to store their favourite soft toys and to be used as a little snug area!

6. Art studio

This large play room is mostly used as a kids art studio.

7. Playroom wallpaper

The custom wallpaper in this play room subtly incorporates a growth chart for measuring the kids’ height.

8. Secret den

The den makes the most of an awkward-shaped alcove. It’s wallpapered in a photo-realistic forest print from Numerart. 

9. Climbing windows

The den's round windows are designed for climbing through – or throwing rock-shaped pillows through.

10. Transform the basement

Transform an unloved basement into a kids play heaven.

11. Music Room

This basement playroom is the perfect music room, as the music (or noise) doesn't travel to the rest of the house, keeping those recorded practices at a safe distance. The Obama print in the basement playroom was bought to celebrate his election. 

12. Mezzanine

This playroom sits above the living room, on a mezzanine level that overlooks the dining space below. A raised, built-in daybed plays on the multi-level theme.

13. Crate Storage

Simple wooden crates were mounted onto the wall to create some fun shelving for books and toys. The wall is coated in blackboard paint, so the kids can get creative. 

14. Games Garage

This garage has been converted into a games room; perfect for teens and young-at-heart parents. Funky pipes were added on the ceiling in a video game formation, and painted in bright colours. The video game theme is continued on the walls, where wall shelving was created to mimic the Pac Man video game. A large ‘Game Over’ sign on the wall lights up.

15. Add a piano

A playroom is a great place for a vintage, second hand or hand-me-down piano, to encourage curiosity and free play. This will encourage an interest in music from a young age, without putting too much pressure on.

In Let's Play House: Stylish Living With Kids (Lannoo Publishers) by Joni Vandewalle, a vintage piano takes pride of place in the playroom.

Shanghai Design firm X+Living transformed a corner staircase into a small study room for the children to practice the piano and read. The bespoke piano stool is inspired by the form of metronome.

16. TV Den

Colourful furniture and flooring make this plain loft space bright and playful, and the perfect hideout for binge watching. 

17. Basement Den

To win cool points, dedicate a basement to create a cool hang-out spot, complete with pool table or table tennis or table football. This vintage Brunswick pool table was restored. 

18. Movie Night

What could be better than a cinema for kids, complete with comfy bean bags?

19. Wall pods

We love the hexagon-shaped wall pods that are featured here in 'The Den', part of Gleneagles hotel.

20. Sport zone

To encourage your kids to exercise, create a sporty zone. For example with a basket ball hoop, and/or hanging boxing pillow. 

21. Table Tennis

Table tennis paddles create a cool feature on the wall of 'The Den', part of Gleneagles hotel.

22. Indoor Treehouse

An indoor treehouse complete with slide completes this cool playroom which is part of 'Little Glen' kids area of the Gleneagles hotel

23. Fun Zone

Anything goes in this fun zone, from soft drink inspired art to nearly life-sized figurines. The playroom offers the perfect setting to showcase offbeat artwork and modern touches, sprinkled with lashings of fun. 

24. Rock Star Stage

Let your kids feel like a rockstar by creating a slightly raised stage for their music practice. This drum kit sits on its own raised plinth, made from the bandsawn oak floorboards. 

25. Wall Art

Colourful wall art and a pool table creates a cool hangout spot for teens in 'The Den', part of Gleneagles hotel.

26. Reading Corner

This cosy reading corner doubles up as a guest bed for sleep-over parties. 

27. Chic Playroom

In this chic playroom, designer Beata Heuman created an oval framed blackboard on the wall for the owners’ one-year-old daughter.

28. Pegboard

The pegboard wall enables a constantly changing gallery wall of display items, that can grow and evolve as the kids get older. 

29. Book Ledges

Book ledges rather than shelves allow for the books to be arranged with the covers facing outwards. A peg board provides a handy place to store the boys’ super hero outfits.

30. Fire Escape

A glossy black New York-feel fire-escape-style ladder ascends to a mezzanine level, with balusters outlined in a sharp red. It's the perfect playroom for pretend play. 

What is a playroom?

A playroom is a room that's entirely dedicated to childs' play. It usually incorporates toy storage to keep toys organised and easy to find, and it could also feature arts and crafts supplies, crayons and paints etc, as well as larger items like indoor play equipment including ride-on toys, rockers, or even a slide.

How do you make a good playroom?

A good playroom is one that's designed to be interactive. These 27 playroom examples are full of inspiration, ranging from built-in dens and slides to mezzanine boat levels (like an indoor treehouse) and even wall pods that encourage climbing. A good playroom will keep a child happily entertained and occupied for hours.

What should be in a playroom?

A playroom should feature a carpet, soft rug or play mat to make it more comfortable to play on hands and knees. A playroom should also incorporate toy storage that makes it easy to find toys and put them away again afterwards. Depending on the size of the playroom, you could even invest in a sofa and TV, an indoor treehouse, a slide or indoor climbing frame, or just a desk and arts & crafts area that's stocked with paints, pencils, crayons, papers etc.

How to decorate a playroom on a budget

It works out cheaper to paint walls rather than wallpaper them. Why not paint the walls with a blackboard / chalkboard paint so the kids can draw on the walls with different coloured chalk? Protect the floors with a large rug – they don't need to be expensive and IKEA offer plenty of options. IKEA will also offer affordable toy storage options, kids desks and chairs.