Ask any child and you are guaranteed to hear that summer off from school is the highlight of this year — but maintaining children happily occupied for three weeks could be a challenge for parents. By midway through the summer, if your kids’ spaces are in need of a refresh and your emotional list of enjoyable activities is beginning to run dry, you have arrived at the ideal place. Here are 10 ways to tweak your house and yard to encourage imagination, experience, fun and even (could we be so blessed?) A little bit of order.
Lauren Leonard Interiors
1. Get. You would never guess that the bunks in this stunning kids’ area are out of Ikea, but it’s true. Painted white and awakened, the bunk beds look as a custom piece. And having four beds means there’s no scrambling when your children want to have friends sleep over.
Easy decoration: Oversize letters spelling out a word or your child’s name are easy and higher effect. A simple blue and white colour scheme retains a busy children’ space sense clean, even if things is everywhere.
Theresa Fine
2. Get creative with storage. When it comes to getting children to help with tidying up, sometimes the container gets all of the difference. Recommission a wagon to bag novels from room to room and hang pieces from hooks on the wall to corral chalk, crayons and odds and ends.
Charleston Home + Design Mag
3. Create your own adventure playground. Insert an element of surprise to a run-of-the-mill garden play area with a zip line or tree home. Have a steep hill? Establish a rock climbing area on the hillside.
Get creative and have fun — but keep in mind to seek advice from a pro to make sure any structure you build is secure before your children use it.
Dip in on one amazing playhouse
Landing Design
4. Get a table. There is no need to spend a lot of cash on a fresh one; search Craigslist or store local yard sales to source a secondhand Ping-Pong, foosball or billiards table for a deal.
5. Create a table where projects can be stored from 1 day to the next. Cleaning up is difficult to do … and sometimes it’s really not necessary. If your children are working on more complex jobs, providing them space where they could save their job will be appreciated — and of course will save cleanup time.
Annette Tatum
6. Set up an outside art area. If you wish you’re doing more cluttered projects with your little ones however keep finding excuses not to, an outdoor art and messy play area might be the best solution.
Set up an easel or art table with paints and other materials on the deck or yard. Keep aged T-shirts easy to use as art smocks and fill out a dishpan with sudsy water for washing brushes and hands.
Fractal Construction LLC
7. Insert fun furnishings. Poufs, beanbag chairs, swinging chairs, hammocks and indoor swings are beloved by children everywhere. Why don’t you add one or more to your own house? It could become your very own favourite place to sit , too!
Platt Builders
8. Put cabinets and awkward spaces to use. Kids love little spaces, so if you have a cupboard, cupboard or nook that’s not being utilized, consider converting it to play space. Place a few toys inside, cover it with a drape or simply drain it out and allow your child find his or her own way to use it.
Kropat Interior Design
9. Establish and crafts zone. Stop the incessant asking where this or that material is by setting up a simple but well-organized area your children can get by themselves. A child-height dining table and chairs, various papers, crayons, markers and coloured pencils are all you need to begin. For older children, consider adding ribbons, envelopes, colorful masking tape along with a watercolor set.
Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
10. Pare down and reevaluate. Give your kid some breathing space. Go through the home — together with older children, but on your own if your children are modest — and gather up all the older, broken and superfluous toys and games to either toss or donate to charity. A distance is calming to children and parents .
Tell us : How are you dealing with children’ being home for the summer? Any tips or enjoyable activity ideas to share?