Okay So On To Phase 2 Of Planning This Extra Room.....

[cheerfuldom]

okay so with all comments I have gotten here and some brainstorming....I would like to turn the extra bedroom into a "big kid" room. Something I really struggled with this summer was the fact that my 4.5 year old (who has had daycare kids around since she was an infant) was getting very bored of the routine and needing big kid activities......resulting in some behavorial issues which is whole other topic. However, I was just hanging till school starts (next week) and did not have a plan of how to address this come school breaks and summer break. With that in mind, I think the extra bedroom downstairs would be a good option for my older kids, when they need a break from the daycare kids, and for any of my daycare kids than can handle the extra freedom/responsibility.

I can move stuff from the playroom into the bedroom OR can get/create new activities specifically for the bedroom. I'd like this big kid room to be stuff that the younger kids will not miss (aka want back) and stuff that is age appropriate for the older 3s to 5 year old crowd.

Its a decent size bedroom so what would you suggest I put in the room with the above in mind?

Definitely books and a reading corner. I have been wanting to get a child sized couch....I currently also have two large bean bags that could use a permanent home. Plus I was going to put the puzzles in there with a small table for use. My littles are really not into puzzles but I dont get out our supply very often for the big ones because then of course, the littles come over and tear through the stuff without actually playing with it. I also have large cardboard blocks and small legos that we dont use for the same reason. I was thinking both of these activities would be a good option for the big kid room.

I dont currently have a TV in the playroom but am not opposed to having one in this extra room for occasional use....would that be a bad idea?

I dont want anything that will be an invitation to the kids to get rowdy, because I will not be able to visually supervise at all times....so, no climbing/play equipment, no messy art/craft/activities, no crayons or other writing utensils unless I go with color wonder items.....no sure if I could trust the kids with a chalkboard and chalk.....

[spud912]

Great idea! This is how I would personally set it up:

I would put the reading area on one side (or corner) with a bookshelf of some sort and a seating area (like your beanbags).

Then along the other walls, I would set up storage shelves (however many you would need). In one part of the storage shelves, I would put building/block supplies. The cardboard blocks I would just stack up, but the legos I would put in a bin and store it on the shelves.

In the other part of the storage shelves, I would put a bunch of manipulatives that you wouldn't want the little children having free access.

In the last part of the storage shelves, I would put a bin or two of "science" gear (like magnifying glasses, rocks, wood chunks, play bugs, magnets, etc.). You could also put a couple of magnetic boards or cookie sheets for the magnets.

Somewhere in the middle of the room, I would put a table with enough chairs for every older child.

It's so much fun to redecorate, especially a new space! happyfacehappyface

[Country Kids]

I was waiting for you to send it to me! Had the whole family looking for it to come in the mail-::

I think your idea sounds delightful and I think the older group will love it. Keep us posted on it.

[Blackcat31]

I would put games in there. My older kids LOVE playing board games and often times their siblings are too young to play and plus, board games are awesome when you have a group of kids that are all old enough to actually understand how to play...kwim?

My older kids' favorites are:
Checkers
Life
Trouble
Battleship
Mancala
Uno
Operation
Connect Four
Jenga


I would also put books and maybe some magazines in there like Hi-lights or Nick Jr or Popular Science for Kids, etc....my own kids really loved magazines for light reading in their early elementary years.

Word Find books, mazes and search and find books were a hit too at the SA level.

I would also consider putting a radio for music with a couple pairs of headphones too like a listening center. You can buy a headphone jack at Target/Walmart that makes the one headphone outlet on a radio become a jack for 2 or more sets of headphones.

[itlw8]

chalk is easy to clean up if they did do something but you are talking older kids. After they prove they can be trusted maybe you can add a table and crayons and paper or washable markers.

Ask them what can be added. my kids love spiral notebooks and pencils they are detectives, artists, writers, you name it

[Lianne]

Up until 2 weeks ago I had a big kid room for a couple years. The toys in it were rotated and included some but not all of the following: a puppet theater & puppets, a doll house & accessories, wooden train tracks, Littlest Pet Shop, My Little Ponies, rescue heroes, building toys with small pieces (magnetics, Kinex, etc), low mess art supplies (crayons, colouring books, scrap paper, stickers), marble run pieces, sensory bins, jigsaw and floor puzzles etc.

The room also had table with no chairs and a shelf or two with manipulative toys which we call table toys. Table toys HAD to stay on the table, all pieces. If I found any pieces on the floor, that toy was removed. Table toys were things like peg boards, geo shapes, dominoes, lite brite, the Fridge Phonics & Word Whammer sets, Magnetic letters with cookie sheets, file folder games, etc.

The toys in the big kid room depended on who would be using it, what their interests were and what skills I wanted them to work on without realizing it, . Having a big kid room worked well for me but as of next week I have a young group so I repurposed the big kid room for awhile.