SETTING UP A PLAYFUL LIVING SPACE

March 21, 2020

My tips on setting up open-ended playful learning spaces that will keep your littles inspired and happy!

Sharing tips for creating spaces in your home that will foster independent play and learning- no matter whether your living in a spacious home or an apartment! (And how to do it with whatever’s on hand - no need to rush out and buy furniture or decor!)

Work with your space to create nooks

​

Children like to have little “nooks” where they can engage in uninterrupted play. Spaces they feel is theirs and a little enclosed (just like us, generally we feel more confident to immerse ourselves in something, if we don’t feel eyes are watching us or get distracted by other things in our eye sight)

​

Finding Space

In our home, I tend to find “dead spaces” and fill them with little nooks for the children- e.g. beside our couch we have a space that in any other home could very well be left alone or for a pot plant. I simply put down a rug, some cushions and we had a “nook” which has changed from being a reading corner, to puzzle area, to magnetic block play, to a multipurpose area.

​

If you just DON’T HAVE SPACE, work with what you have! A dining table can become a great place for a small world set up! Run a table runner in the middle of the table, pop some figurines along it and bobs your uncle!

​

Think about how spaces will be used

I also like to think about how a space will be used and where it will best be suited.

​

Dramatic play is such a rich way for littles to explore their understanding of the world and especially act like the people they know. We've had a play kitchen and both in our apartment and house set up in our actual kitchen. This not only helps the children immerse in their play but allows them to observe and mimic what mummy and daddy do in the kitchen.

​

For sensory/messy play areas, I personally like them to be near clean up supplies! At the moment that’s our bathroom/laundry. I find it easier to hustle dirty children and also encourage independent hand washing without fear the whole house will get covered in paint/sensory play.

​

Be creative! Use what’s on hand…

You don’t have to have the fanciest furniture to create nooks! For example, a nappy box can become a toddler table - simply pop a towel or table cloth over it, and you’ve got a little table that’s perfect height for tots! Your coffee table too would most likely do a great job!

​

EXPERIMENT

Shuffle things around! If somethings not working, mix it up!

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

SETTING UP INVITING AREAS

​

Tune into setting up spaces that are already in line with your children interests (and yours!) Theres no point in setting up small world, after small world if imaginative play just isn’t something your little is interested in! Or filling a room with blocks if your child would rather play with dolls.

You might need to step back for a day and just OBSERVE your children. Do they like playing with blocks? Do they spend all their time exploring your kitchen cupboards? Do they beg to cut and colour and paste and paint?

This will help you choose what type of nooks might work in your space.

​

Possible Playful Area Themes:

*choose themes that suit your littles interests, stage of development and what YOU can manage*​

• Dramatic role play

• Building blocks

• Small world

• Inquiry/ Nature

• Reading

• Craft/Drawing

• Sensory

• Interests

What is an invitation to play?

An invitation to play is exactly what is sounds like, setting up toys/resources in a way that children will find inviting and want to play with. But remember, it is ONLY AN INVITATION, don’t expect children to love and accept all invitations to play, just like you probably don’t accept every birthday party invitation you receive!

Toys (especially open ended toys) can often be overwhelming for little people. Invitations to play help inspire their imaginations, and welcome them to get involved in a play that has already started! (its basically kickstarting their play)

​

What to include in an invitation to play?

How long is a piece of string! BUT my biggest tips are

• always try and have areas rich in literature- while littles may not be able to read, being exposed to print, letters and words is a huge stepping block for emergent literary explorers. (think posters, alphabet cards/displays, even simply writing words on sticky notes and sticking them to the wall!)

• try and keep them OPEN ENDED - ask yourself “is there only ONE WAY this can be played with?” If the answer is yes, chances are it won’t be overly inviting, or sustaining for littles.

• LESS is often more! Having too much out can often be overwhelming. It also means an EASY PACK UP/ reset of the area.

• A few different items in each area or nook will give children opportunity to explore and engage in different things throughout the day.

​

EXAMPLES OF NOOKS and things to include in INVITATIONS TO PLAY

​

READING

• Cushions

• Cuddly toys

• Books

• Posters

​

SMALL WORLD/ IMAGINATIVE

• Theme/topic related books

• Posters

• Figurines/Vehicles

• Backdrop/setting elements (toy trees/shrubs; use cardboard or toilet paper rolls to diy grass/ponds/trees)

• Sensory elements (nature parts like rocks/sticks/leaves)

​

DRAMATIC PLAY

• Posters! (they don’t need to be fancy, you can use magazine clippings or draw your own- copy what you’d see in the actual settings, e.g. a Specials menu at a restaurant; eye chart at the doctor; hair styles at the hairdresser)

• Costumes (a silk can be so many things, children have incredible imaginations!)

• Writing elements (notepads)

​

SENSORY/ INQUIRY

• Expired legumes make a wonderful sensory base for small worlds, or even just in a tub for sensory exploration (*NOTE: these can be toxic if consumed raw or inhaled) + tools for scooping, pouring, colour sorting etc

• Nature clippings(leaves, rocks, sticks, flowers)

• Different textured fabrics

• Different coloured objects

• Recycling

• Shaker bottles (DIY option- fill an empty bottle with something that will rattle, from rice to pebbles, use whatever is on hand)

• Include books/posters if possible

​~ some examples of things we rotate for sensory play; choose one or the other or combine one with a different area of play- you wouldn't want all these things out at once: 

​

CONSTRUCTION

• Blocks

• Peg dolls or figurines

• Vehicles

• Ramps

• Roads or tracks

​

SCROLL DOWN FOR IMAGE EXAMPLES OF NOOKS & INVITATIONS TO PLAY

​