How to Decorate a Preschooler's Playroom

By eHow Education Editor

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Enhance your toddler's education and creativity by creating a fun, age-appropriate play space.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Clear Contact Paper
Low Storage Shelves
Outlet Covers
Chidren's Toys
Push Toy - Shopping Cart
Toy - Number And Alphabet Foam Mat
Toy - Number And Alphabet Puzzle
Toy Blocks
Toy Car
Toy Chests
Toy Doctor's Bag
Toy Hammers
Toy Phones
Toy Toolboxes
Toy Trains

Step1

Give your toddler space. Find a play area that is open and free from dangerous distractions such as electrical cords and breakable items. Your toddler's bedroom or a playroom are the best choices and will keep the majority of toys out of your main living space.

Step2

Keep the decor simple. Your toddler will be overstimulated if there is too much to look at or too many activities to choose from. If your toddler walks into the playroom and can't focus on one activity or seems to just wander around, try eliminating some toy choices or decor in the room.

Step3

Decorate the walls at your toddler's eye level. Pull-out posters from children's magazines are nice to laminate and hang on the wall. Try hanging some artwork your child has created. Buy some adhesive ABCs or 123s to stick on the wall. Again, keep it simple.

Step4

Place toys in bins on low shelves. You can even label the bins so your toddler will learn organization skills. Use see-through plastic bins so your toddler can see what is in the bin. Keep the lids off of the bins for easy access to the toys inside.

Step5

Place some imagination builders around the room. Toys that inspire imagination for toddlers are doll or figurine houses, car garages, and playhouses or play furniture.

Step6

Create a dress-up box. Toddlers love to dress up and imitate adults. You can put simple items such as mommy's or daddy's old shoes and clothes into the box.

Step7

Set up a quiet reading area. Put books in a crate or on a low bookshelf. Pile up pillows or put down a nice fluffy rug for your toddler to relax and read on. You might even put your rocker in the area so the two of you can read together.

Tips & Warnings

Put some toys away. Toddlers bore easily. Choosing from the same toys every day will get old. Surprise your toddler with a new batch of toys about every two weeks. Put the old toys away and bring them out again in another two weeks.
Avoid serious injury by using low shelves for toy and book storage. A tall, narrow shelf can be easily pulled over by a toddler.
Buy plug covers and other safety items to babyproof your house and especially the room your toddler will play in.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 7/28/2006 This is less dusty than a chalkboard. I had a chalkboard in my room and it was so dusty and messy. I did not like it, but then I got a dry erase board and it wasn't very dirty. Plus, your child can choose from other colors other than just white.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Use blackboard paint on one wall (it even comes magnetic). It is a special paint that can be written or drawn on with chalk and then erased. Let your preschooler use chalk or magnetic letters on that one wall.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 My four-year old son has Autism. Recently we designed our playroom. We added simple things, to help him feel centered. We designed a reading area, we put two book shelves together like an "L," with one against the wall. Inside this little cubby, we placed ultra soft furry pillows, stacked and covering the floor. To cut down on overstimulating, the shelves face out. In the cubby area we covered the backs of the book shelves with pictures and a safe mirror. We also have a box filled with books, small toys, and stuffed animals for him to cuddle. We think this space (though simple in design) creates a wonderful quiet space for our family.

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