Hey mamas! We’ve reached the end of the Playroom 101 series, at least for now. I’m looking forward to revisiting this series again after you all have had time to implement some of the tips we’ve covered. I’d love to hear what changes you’ve made to your playspace as a result of this series!
For my final tip, I will be talking about how your playspace can work to support independence. When you ensure that you have a prepared environment, you allow children to take ownership of their own space. Here are a few things you can do to help foster their independence.
1. Make sure to have child-sized cleaning tools within the space where they are easily accessible. In our toy selection post, I talked about how much JC loves to sweep. When he is finished playing he has learned to tidy up his space. By having the child-sized cleaning tools easily accessible to him, he can independently work to keep his space neat and tidy. He is learning to take care of his things and to be responsible. Aside from the Melissa and Doug broom set, we also recently added the cutest little mini Dyson vacuum cleaner. It even has real suction!
2. Consider adding a real plant for your child to take care of. Not only will real plants add beauty to the space, they also encourage an appreciation and respect for the environment. We recently added this IKEA plant to our play space. It immediately made it look more inviting and added the perfect pop of color. JC now has the daily task of watering his plant. Since purchasing the plant, every time we enter the playroom he goes to grab his watering can. It is so cool to see how quickly he has taken to caring for his plant.
3. Make sure that frequently used toys and books are placed low enough that the child can access them without help. Our plant took the place of our reading nook, so we moved our favorite board books to our cube storage. I prefer them much better in this location. They are in a space where they are visible to JC and he can easily grab his favorites.
These little changes can make a big difference in helping your child feel empowered by their independence. How about you? I’d love to hear how you encourage independence in your playspace. Join the conversation over on Instagram {@polishedplayhouse}.
Talk to you soon,
