New playroom!

We converted our breakfast nook to a playroom. With more than one kid, it just doesn't work to have all the toys all over the living room and all that. It was just getting entirely ridiculous. We keep their books in their bedrooms, and some of their toys go in their rooms, too, but there are so many that just don't work out for there. Some are toys that they both use (like the blocks, the legos, and stuff like that), others are just messy and I don't want them in their bedrooms (like art supplies), so we really needed a playroom. The nook wasn't working out as a homeschool room, because we always end up doing any formal lessons we do on the couch, and mostly informal lessons anyhow. (I believe the name is "unschooling".)

I can't remember who came up with the idea to make the nook into a playroom. I think it was me, but it could as easily have been Thak. Whoever it was, though, it's worked out very well. The nook is not terribly big, but also not tiny. It's about the size of either of the kids' bedrooms (thus making it roughly 1/3-1/4 the size of our entire on-post place at Ft. Stewart!) so it's not a boundless playroom like some people have, but it's got enough room for many toys (we'll still keep the books in their bedrooms. We wouldn't have room for them in there with all the toys.) and an art table, with floor space to spare for playing with push toys, ride toys, and of course, building with blocks and legos.

View from the door. A baby gate keeps it separate from the kitchen, keeping Orren out of the hazards. I have a separate kitchen door from the formal dining room.

Yes, it's messy now. This is after a whole afternoon of use! This is the view of it from the kitchen.



And here's my messy back yard (when it's this windy, it's hard to keep it clean!) through the big windows. I like that about the playroom most. There are lots of windows. The light bulb is actually blown in there, and you can't tell because the windows let in so much light.