Kids Do Not Like The Play Room - What Am I Doing Wrong?

[DancingQueen]

Thanks for the feed back - it really helps a lot.

Train table is going this weekend. It isn't a sitting table - it has always been used for the trains they usually play while standing - but like I said - they're not using it now so that will help a lot.

I've decided to paint - I'm going to think about a color for a while.. something cheerful for certain!

I won't remove the blinds because I have the most difficult sleepers and during naptime those blinds and curtains make it nice and dark in there and when it is bright they do not sleep. They never slept in the old play room. so the blinds have to stay - all the though I can pull them way up during the day.

The ottoman is going this weekend - but I leave the chair in there for me. I sit in it while I wait for the kids to fall asleep. my back can't handle the hard floor for that long (arthritis - getting old) and I thought I would use it to sit and feed / rock baby when she comes so I can sit in with the kids.

I really think the biggest thing will be the paint color and the train table.

I'll take before/after pictures.


Oh and my day is very broken up.
In the mornings they have full run of the entire house until everyone gets there (8-9)

9am snack til 9:15

if it is nice out we go outside at 9:30 - 10:45
If it is yucky out we do a craft/art activit 9:30-10
then playroom/free play (just not in quiet room) until 11

11 lunch
11:20 get ready to go for a drive -
bring my dd to school and back to the house for 12:10
12:15 go down for nap
up around 2:45

if it is nice we go outside at 3 until the parents pick up 4:30ish?

if it is not nice we do a group activity
either table activity, dance party, work out tapes, board games, fashion show etc.. something that is very interactive that I play with them. Not everyone always participates (I have a young crew) so they have the option to go off and play during that time.

4:15 clean up play room, change diapers
4:25
go in "quiet room" I read a book out load while the tv is on low in the background for a small bit while parents are picking up.

So it is pretty broken up.

When summer gets here we will be outside from 9:00 - 11:30 then again from 3 - 4:30

I love summer

[daycare]

If you cant paint, go down to the dollar store and buy some yellow/oragnge/red (bright colors) plastic table cloths and then put them up on the wall like bulletin boards. Super cheap way to brighten up the room. Then maybe just add a little lamp or a white light and you can really change the feel of the room

use the living room for time out...they will hate going in there....

[cheerfuldom]

do you have blackout curtains? they come in every color and you don't need to keep the blinds with those.

[MommyMuffin]

I know I've posted pictures before.
I've moved everything around though. I'm prepping for two babies and I really want to keep the play room as the play room so I've made my living room "quiet time room" they can read, do puzzles and watch a show in there. That is it. No toys allowed. This is where I'll have my baby stuff.
Here are the pictures of my living room the way it used to be. But all of the toys are gone. It is absolutely boring in there and empty. I haven't even put baby toys in there yet. But they want to be in there all the time and when I keep them out and make them stay in the play room they act like it is a punishment or a "time-out)


My eat-in kitchen is pretty big and is open to them to play in as well. Play room is at the end of my hall, they have that.. the hall and the kitchen where they can play freely. the "quiet time room" is blocked with a gate.
My kitchen has a long table for crafts and a shelf in the corner with all of the craft stuff and table time activities (only touched when asked for - otherwise off limits) that they use frequently. I also have my changing area in the kitchen.
Here is the table and the shelf.




I moved my old play room to another room so I could have my bedroom back (which was the old play room). Here is my OLD play room





Here is my new play room - which has all of the same things (all though I weeded a lot out and I've been rotating more toys as you all have suggested in the past.
The first picture has the old flooring (I added a rug), I took out the dora kitchen - it is now in the hallway near my kitchen to encourage play in the hallway and make more space in the play room. I also removed the small white bookshelf (since all they did was dump books) and I put my train table in the play room as well.






I will gladly take any and all suggestions. I think the paint color is dark (used to be my boys' room) but I can't change that anytime soon.
I'm toying with removing the train table since it isn't getting much use lately.
I have my toy bins which are working out good, things that move, kitchen area, dress up area and puppets.
The things that get used the most are the barbies, the trains (just not on the table), the big cars they push down the hall and back and the tea party stuff.

I hate that they feel like the play room is a punishment and I just don't know how to make it more fun - but I LOVE having my living room as quiet time room.
It is great for drop offs too. My dcks always bombard whatever kids are coming in the door and they HATE IT. So now everyone is on the other side of the gate during drop off and it gives whoever is coming in a little space to say bye to mom and dad.
I want to keep this space gated off for babies too just for their safety.
I even went so far as to not allowing my dog in there any longer and I LOVE it.

I have the same problems. Do you think they dont like it because of the set up, or because they cannot follow you around?

I have a play room and my living room is infant zone and my kitchen and dinning room are only used for curriculum, puzzles and art time. I want the kids to enjoy it here, but my first priority is keeping the infants safe.

Let me know how its going?

[DancingQueen]

I'm starting small.

*I started raising my blinds as high as they'll go and pushing the curtains up and over the curtain bar.

*I removed the train table

*I turned the rug to go back and forth in the other direction.

*I moved the shelf with the bins along the window wall near the kitchen

*I turned the chair so that it faced the door instead of facing the window

*I put dora kitchen outside

*I put small kiddie kitchen away

*and put away about 3 or 4 toys that I realized haven't had much play

Already they are playing in there much much more!