“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” —Fred Rogers

The term “workplace” is ubiquitous in the world of design. An entire specialization within interior and architectural design has emerged to support its creation. But what about the playroom, effectively the workplace for children? Making a great one takes special insight, too.

“Kids’ spaces are a different mindset than the rest of the house,” Boise-based Interior Designer Allison Porter said. “Kids will grow, and the space will need to transform into the next amazing space. We call these grow-with-me spaces. Someday, that playhouse can become a bunk space.” Or a desk. Or an art studio. Or a million other things!

Another key to successful kid-centric spaces is intentionality. At home, in a daycare or school, or in a business designed for or with children in mind, space will always be at a premium and clutter will always be an obstacle; so strategic selections, thoughtful arrangement, and the ability to keep spaces clean and tidy can all be hugely important.

Those have certainly been key for Leap Years, the Montessori-inspired indoor toddler playground, located in Boise’s North End (with new locations coming soon in both Eagle and southeast Boise).

“[Children] tend to play as chaotically as their space is,” Co-Owner Amanda Carvalho stated. Which is why she says everything at Leap Years has been purpose-built “to keep children engaged and to learn cognitive, social, and motor skills, all while having fun.”

“When kids are overstimulated,” she said, “they default to aimless interaction, hopping from toy to toy, never fully immersing in the experience of the toy at hand or play station.” 

In an attempt to avoid clutter and overwhelm, the Treasure Valley Institute for Children’s Arts (TRICA)—a combination preschool, summer camp, and arts outreach program based near downtown Boise—actually uses a rotational system to limit which art supplies and other implements are available at a given time.

“This keeps the environment fresh and encourages deeper engagement with what’s available,” TRICA’s Director of Creative Programming Lisa Arnold shared. “It also encourages our teachers to pay attention to the children’s current curiosities.”

Porter agrees. Her recommendation for children’s spaces at home? “Storage and more storage. If you can tuck it away, there’s a lot you can do.”

Whether impacted by evolving tastes, or a lack of wall and shelf space, or by the need to showcase an unending flood of children’s own artwork, sometimes décor can become a bit of a hodgepodge.

“A playroom can be the worst room in the house, or the best. Being intentional on what colors, wallpapers, and furniture you put in there makes all the difference,” Porter said.

But also, be open to change, Arnold suggests. “We are curious about what works and what doesn’t, and we aren’t afraid to add and edit. Getting new furniture and unique features, and getting rid of the old, keeps everyone inspired.”

“We also design the overall space for different activities,” she said. “You don’t need separate rooms; we use rugs, lighting, and furniture arrangement to define zones in our big space.”

It’s all a lot to consider. But some takeaways? Whether you’re designing a professional playroom or carving out a tiny corner of a living room for your kids to play; whether with consultation from a pro or wholly on your own: plan out your space’s intended uses. Invest in copious amounts of storage, both there and elsewhere for things to be swapped in and out. Create opportunities for the space to grow and evolve over time. And by God, swap things out—either temporarily or permanently—that are being over- or under-utilized.