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A Child’s Playroom Decor – Full of Imagination February 4, 2010

Posted by tttholcomb in Uncategorized.
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Any time that you have a chance to decorate a child’s playroom, it is an opportunity to have fun with your design. If you let your child help you with the design, you may be surprised at the great ideas that they have. So as you are worrying about form and function, let your child help you inject a little fun into the room.

Versatile Neutrals In general when you decorate for a child it is a good idea to keep the backdrop to their room neutral, because they grow and their tastes change. By keeping a neutral backdrop to the room you can easily change the look of the room without investing a lot or money. Use light colors on the walls and furnishings. You can always add wall decals to add some interest to the wall, and they are easily removable when the child’s interest changes.

Sturdy Furniture Every child’s playroom needs a sturdy table and chairs for them to use for many different activities like puzzles, games, reading and drawing. Lining the room with shelves with bins and bookcases make it easy for the child to keep the room tidy. If you have more than one child, make sure that you have enough chairs and work spaces for them all to use. You may even want to group furniture into a craft area, a floor play area, a TV area and a reading area depending on how large your playroom is. You can use the furniture to define separate areas, or you can actually separate them with bookshelves or dividers. Try to keep everything as mobile as possible, so that as your child grows and the room’s purpose changes, you will be able to easily change the plan of the room.

Special Areas Most children love to draw, color and paint, so make sure that you have adequate space for this. If you have bins to keep art supplies in, the child can easily get the bin from the shelf and put it on the table to use while they are drawing. If you do not have the craft table on a linoleum floor, you may want to make a linoleum mat to put under the table to protect the carpet from spills. If you hang a magnetic strip across a wall at your child’s eye level, they can display their artwork when each is completed.

Lots of Storage One of the most important aspects of a playroom is to have adequate storage for all of the toys and supplies that are kept in the room. As you are designing storage for this room, make sure that your child can easily get into any storage area that you set up. This way they will be able to help you keep this space picked up. Plastic bins are excellent for storing small toys on shelves, and milk crates can double as a stool and a storage bin. Bins are a great storage solution, because the child can easily transport the entire contents of the bin from the shelf to the play area. Corner hammocks for stuffed animals are a festive way to store your child’s furry friends. Make sure that you install them low enough for your child to fill them. If you label all of the storage containers, your child will always know where to find their toys. If your child is too young to read, then you can label the bin with a picture of what it contains.

by Angela Glancy

Why wooden children’s toys are still a hit February 4, 2010

Posted by tttholcomb in Uncategorized.
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For many years children have enjoyed playing with wooden toys. Long before video games, and other modern toys, that rely on batteries and cords that plug into the wall were invented, the old-fashioned, traditional wooden toys have amused and entertained children of all ages. Even though wooden toys were first invented in the early 19th century, these types of toys can be seen in many households today. Surprisingly enough, children do not seem to be the only ones interested in these toys anymore. An increasing number of adults have been buying wooden toys for themselves. I recall the day I visited a friend at his home, and I was surprised to see on his coffee table a wooden hamburger. The hamburger actually had the buns, lettuce, cheese, tomato, mayonnaise, and the patty. I thought this was pretty cool! Naturally, I told him that was a cute little toy he bought for his child. He said that even though his child likes to play with the toy, he bought it for himself. He explained to me that he simply bought the toy as a decorative item for his home and that he normally receives many comments similar to mine about the toy. He chuckled as he told me that most adults like to play with the toy. Also, I have a friend who owns a boutique. One day I went to visit her, and I was surprised to see a wooden rocking horse in her place of business. I became very curious, so I asked her why she had this rocking horse at work, and she replied that her child loved the one at home so much that she wanted to buy an extra one for her shop. She said that she occasionally brings her child to work, and that the toy will keep him busy while she takes care of the customers. Also, she told me her customers’ children like to play on the horse. Despite these other reasons, she said the main reason she bought the horse is it’s a nice conversation piece that looks good in her shop.

Yet another example comes to mind: I have a relative who is a cosmetologist. Many times during her day on the job, she must reach for supplies in an overhead supply cupboard. She is not tall enough to reach the supplies, so she came up with an idea: She had bought a small, wooden step-stool several years earlier for her child to use at home. Since her child had started to outgrow the step-stool, she simply took the item with her to work, and she was able to use it to step on to reach her supplies. If you think about practical uses for children’s toys, that definitely is one!

Speaking of practical uses for children’s step-stools, I recall from my childhood days that several times a year my family and I would take the train to visit relatives. As we boarded and deboarded the train, we stepped on a wooden step-stool that was very sturdy. No matter how many people stepped on the stool, it would not break. I remembered this fact, and later in life, I bought a similar step-stool for my child. I know that if he ever gets tired of it, I can probably think of some practical uses for the item around the home.

Maybe these wooden toys bring back the kid in us, or maybe they just remind us of great memories. Whatever the case, don’t be surprised if you see an increase in adults purchasing these types of toys for themselves.