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.
We’ve collated a few of our favourite play rooms that have featured in the pages of Livingetc.
Some 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 or newly launched Disney Plus.
Here are 15 cool ideas to get you inspired…
Read Also: Fun Ideas for Cool Kids’ Bedrooms
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.
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.
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.
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.
Get the look: The sofa is a Fifties Danish design from a vintage shop. This is the Rocker chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Modernica at SCP. This is the Favourite Things pendant by Chen Karlsson for ENOstudio at The Conran Shop.
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.
Get the look: The vintage Pepsi-Cola sign is from The Old Cinema. The bean bag is from BeanBagBazaar. The giant Lego storage box is from Store. This is the Star Wars Stormtrooper Battle Buddy figure from Tesco Direct. The Graffiti wallpaper is from Murals Wallpaper.
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.
Get the look: The artwork is by Jane Perkins.
TV Den
Colourful furniture and flooring make this plain loft space bright and playful, and the perfect hideout for binge watching.
Get the look: This is the Mah Jong modular sofa by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois. The carpet squares are from Flor. This is Anthropologie’s Rhododendron chandelier. For a similar coffee table, try West Elm.
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.
Get the look: The floor and stage are made from Burano smoked and bandsawn oak by Source Wood Floors.
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.
Get the look: Source a pool table at Brown’s Antiques Billiards and Interiors. The Kugel K goose-feather light is by Heike Buchfelder for Pluma Cubic. The kitchen barstool, left, is covered in remnants from B&J Fabrics in New York. For similar, try The Chair People.
Sporty
To encourage your kids to exercise, create a sporty zone. For example with a basket ball hoop, and/or hanging boxing pillow.
Get the Look: This specially commissioned wall art was created by graffiti artist, David Nash (gnashermurals.com).
Reading Corner
This cosy reading corner doubles up as a guest bed for sleep-over parties.
Get the look: The floorboards are painted in Cornforth White modern emulsion by Farrow & Ball.
Chic Playroom
In this chic playroom, designer Beata Heuman created an oval framed blackboard on the wall for the owners’ one-year-old daughter.
Pegboard
The pegboard wall enables a constantly changing gallery wall of display items, that can grow and evolve as the kids get older.
Get the look: Shelving unit, Midcentury Modern fair. Pegboards, Kreisdesign. Similar armchair, Swoon.
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.
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.
Get the look: The flooring is Marmoleum. The desk is by Blu Dot, shipped from America – Heal’s sells a selection of Blu Dot furniture. The stools came from Golborne Road market.
