A lot of mamas ask me how I have so much grown-up stuff around my house that doesn't get ruined by little hands. My secret is "kid centers." The girls have their own play areas in almost every room of our home.
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Next to my kitchen is the kids' kitchen/market/restaurant center. It's stocked with wooden play food, cooking and serving materials, a tea set, aprons and play money. This center is the only way I ever get any cooking done.
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Just off our main living & dining area is a kid zone stocked with seasonal goodies. Spring arrived at our house over the past week, so this area currently features Spring-themed books, toy bunnies, a basket of pastel-colored play silks, a fairy house full of little fairy friends, fresh flowers and, of course, a basket full of plastic Easter eggs.
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Our art center is located on the back porch where big messes are no big deal. I have a vinyl tablecloth over our vintage wrought iron patio table for easy clean up; and art smocks are always ready on the backs of the chairs. This center sees near daily activity.
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My backyard lacks a decent play area, so we set up a courtyard off the front entrance as a children's garden. Along with playing in the sandbox, the girls have fun doing some container gardening here, as well as bug hunting.
I also keep a basket of toys and wooden blocks in my office/craft studio with the never-ending dream that I will be able to work while a child plays quietly on the floor.
There are two final secrets to keeping the girls away from
my toys and interested in
theirs:
1 - I switch up the contents of these centers regularly. Selby loves to come home and discover something new in her seasonal living room. Or a grocery store all set up in the kitchen center, complete with cash register and (reusable, of course) Publix bags. Seasonal items are rotated throughout the year, as are various toys.
2 - The toys and play things we have around our house are designed to engage a child's imagination. You won't find many plastic or electronic things, although a few do make it by me. Instead we stock wooden and plush toys that don't eat batteries, natural items like shells & stones, real kid-size musical instruments and a wide variety of art supplies.
All this planning & staging gives my little chicks free range in our nest, while allowing me to have out all the pretty grown-up things I love!
4 comments:
What a great post...inspiration for great parenting..you are awesome Mama Bird
Great post! I have seen all of these setups in your home, yet I never really "connected the dots" before now.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for the inspiration!
i love this. i love that our little ones lead parallel lives, with cute little furniture and work to be done. i would love to be a little girl in your home!
This is a great idea! I'll have to put it to use one day!
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