A Peek Inside Our Home | Beautiful Play Spaces

Exciting news! (Well for me anyway). I have been waiting since before my little one was born to have new flooring installed in our main living area (cream carpet where our toddler eats was definitely not working out for us). This month we finally got around to it, so I was keen to re vamp little miss' play area.

IKEA Expedit shelves are my best friend. We have a 4x4 in our little one's bedroom (click here for one of my very first posts, our little girl's Bird Themed Nursery). Another 4x4 unit is in our main living area for miscellaneous trinkets and storage (this is also where I keep craft supplies & sensory play materials out of reach). Pictured below you'll see a 2x4 unit for toys, also in the main living area. I played around with endless combinations of baskets, buckets, books and toys to come up with a layout that will work well for Little Miss.

I invite my readers to have a peek inside the home of teacher types...

Bottom shelf alternating green tubs from Howards Storage World and cane baskets from IKEA

Bottom shelf cane baskets from IKEA

Alternate shelves - cane baskets from IKEA

Alternate shelves - green tubs from Howards Storage World

Bottom shelf green tubs from Howards Storage World + cane baskets from IKEA for extra storage

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To complete her little play corner, I found the most amazing play mat! Eco Viva specialise in practical, non toxic, safe and waterproof play mats (suitable for the home or Early Childhood Setting). There are so many gorgeous designs to choose from, and I love that they are double sided. We couldn't go past the one with roads for fun play times with cars (anything with wheels seems to be of interest at the moment). Pictured is the small 'Bumpa Mat' which measures 135 x 105 cm. Large 'Bumpa Mats' are 240 x 140 cm.

This is the layout I decided to go with - green tubs from Howards Storage World along the bottom shelf

The other side of the Eco Viva Bumpa Play mat.

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When you're setting up your indoor play area here are some key things to consider

• De-clutter. Try not to overwhelm your little person with too many choices. Think about a toy rotation system or a toy swap with some other mummy friends.
• Variety. Think construction, imaginative play, wooden toys, puzzles, stacking, books, musical instruments...
• Storage. Baskets, tubs, containers, labels? What works best for you? As your tot grows, consider fun labels with pictures so that everything has a place and pack up time is easier. Another great suggestion (possibly more suitable for the Early Childhood Setting) is to take photographs of the equipment, and place this photo on the shelf where it goes.
• "Away before play" is a handy little rhyme to encourage your little one to pack up one thing before getting out another.
• Ease & Independence. Consider the items that you want your little person to be able to reach. Think about their size and weight, perhaps place heavier blocks on the bottom shelf and lighter toys on the top shelf.
• Comfort (if you don't have carpet, a play mat is a must)

Thank you Eco Viva for the gorgeous Bumpa Mat! We love it! Little Miss 18 Months was so interested in the bike (like her Granddad rides) and the traffic lights "stop", "go"! We've been getting out the little toy cars and having a lovely play time.

Lauren

Disclaimer: I received the Eco Viva Bumpa Mat at a discounted price in exchange for featuring it on my blog. My writing is my honest opinion :)