The steps below follow the order of the work for this remodel inspiration by room project.
These cool and creative kids play area options (including options for an indoor jungle gym!) will give you the coolest playroom on the block.
You’ll also love this bunk bed playhouse and these straightforward Handmade house bed frame plans, plus these options for making a play area that’s also a guest room.
17 Creative Kids Play Area options
(To Keep Them Busy and You Sane)
Winter where we live gets cold, and can seem to drag on for months and months. We have had so much fun playing outside this summer and fall that we don’t know what we are going to do when we are stuck inside for most of the day.
The mall and fast food play places can be nice for burning off some energy, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a clearly solid kids play area right in your home? Dream with me and gather some options from these 17 great playrooms!
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Build a Castle
What child hasn’t dreamed of living in a fairy tale castle? look at this two-story playroom castle on Aprill Aprill.
If you don’t have a designated playroom space, make a lofted castle bed instead following LZ’s instructions here on Bekob! Sleep up top, play underneath — a great bedroom playroom solution for a small room.
Read More: 12 Fun and Functional Playroom options
Or, add some hidden storage in a playroom or family room with a house or castle shaped room divider with these free plans. A child’s imagination can make it magical!
Add Play Area Toy Storage
It’s not the cutest or funnest part of a kids play area, but giving everything in a play area a designated (and kid-friendly) storage space is a must! Whatever toys or activities your kids are in to, give that a place in the play room.
Related Reading: 30 IKEA Hacks for a well fitted Playroom
Cheri from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar built this great play area for her “big boys”, complete with a giant wall pegboard, a Lego table, and custom art canvases of their go-to toys.
Playroom built-in storage like this by Delightfully Noted will fit all sorts of toys, and also transition well to regular family room storage when the kids are grown and the toys are fewer.
For any kid’s bedroom or play area, a vertical toy cubby like this is big storage in a small footprint. Build it with the plans here.
Read More: 5 Steps to an Organized Playroom
Add Color & Style
Adding fun curtains, a cushy rug, or a colorful wall painting option (or wallpaper mural or tapestry) help make the room feel fun and creative for kids to play in.
The bright colors and casual play areas of this solid room by Kate Jackson Design (via Houzz) are well fitted for younger kiddos and can easily be changed up as the kids outgrow it.
- See More: 28 Ways to Decorate White Curtains & 45 options for Painting Patterned Curtains
- Shop: All Our go-to Rugs
- Try These: 100+ Ways to Paint a Wall & 50 striking Wallpapers & Murals
Click each image below for more play area decor options and tips.
Playful Blue Boys Playroom Decor options
Colorful Girls Playroom Decor options
Americana Playroom Loft Decor options
Rainbow Playroom Decor options
Small Playroom Organizing options
Build a Play Area Under The Stairs
A kids’ play area can take up a small space that might not be used otherwise — like under the stairs! It’s a fun small space to cozy up (unless you prefer the Harry Potter cupboard under the stairs aesthetic).
I love this play house that Joy2Journey shared here on Bekob — adorable inside and out!
And this little play area under the stairs only took a weekend to build!
… Or In Any Corner or Nook!
Any small area can be turned into a great play area. Just look at this corner turned indoor treehouse loft!
Under the eaves nook turned clearly cute playhouse here! The beautifully carved trim on this attic playhouse was salvaged from another home, and it adds just the right magical touch to this space by Lynn Lee and Steve Skaggs, via Design Sponge.
Who says that a tree house has to be in an actual tree? A corner nook in your home could be transformed to create this fun play area, via Design Sponge.
Add Cozy Seating
A reading loft is such a fun option for kids, and putting it in the closet is smart use of space. The bold colors and built-in shelving of this playroom by 551 East Designs will grow with your child right up until they move out. And you have to see her Handmade wood shim art!
See more about how to build your own closet reading loft for a play area:
Build a freestanding reading nook with this straightforward Handmade playhouse frame + woodworking plans, sized to fit a crib mattress:
Or make portable cozyiness with a Handmade floor pouf —
Or use one of our go-to play area tricks — a toy storage beanbag! Stuffed animals and extra blankets make a cozy place to sit (yes, really!).
Make Room for Imagination
A play kitchen, pretend office space, or play market are fun spaces for kids to pretend and make believe. Add a kid-sized table and any space becomes a restaurant or cafe!
We made this cottage play kitchen with so much love for our girls, and they loved it just as much as we did! Get the details to build one of your own here.
Make an straightforward play kitchen from 2 cube shelves:
Or from a basic low-cost microwave stand!
Any kiddo will love a room with all the love and details that The Busy Budgeting Mama put into this lovely play area — a kitchen and cafe with an awning, handmade felt food, a felt board, and plenty of storage space!
27 Handmade Play Kitchen options
And Room for Creativity!
Creativity can be messy, but worth it! Put down a rug and get out the (washable) art supplies.
We’ve all dreamed of a playroom from The Land of Nod, and Kirsten from 6th Street Design School used some of my go-to pieces — the teepee! that polka dot rug! — to put together a striking and functional room for her kiddos to learn in and explore.
A chalkboard makes for hours of fun — a chalkboard wall, or a standing chalkboard, or chalkboard barn doors! And don’t forget to make a clearly straightforward magnet board to display their other artwork, too.
Add an Indoor Jungle Gym
If you have young kiddos, what better use of a second family room than as a play area to run, jump, and play? Fun At Home With Kids put together an memorable space, complete with a rock climbing wall!
You can also add a slide along the stairs — make your own with this walkthrough or buy a stair slide kit here.
or add a swing just about anywhere with an in-door swing setup like this:
or look at these memorable kits for indoor jungle gyms for kids!
More fun indoor play area options:
See more kids room options:
- 11 solid Bunk Room options to Sleep Multiple Kids
- Build an Indoor-Outdoor Bowling Alley
- 25 Stellar Shared Bedrooms for Kids
