when did you *get rid* of your playroom?

[pixielou]

for those of you with older kids - when did you do away with the playroom? i know that i won't need a room full of legos and little people forever.

we'll be moving to our new house soon. at this point i plan on using the dining room as a playroom. and i guess i'm kinda wondering when we'll do away with the playroom. which will probably have some bearing on how much decorating we do to the room now.

~pixie

[MizLarner]

We never really had a playroom to *get rid* of.. My thoughts would be to not worry about getting rid of the playroom environment, just update the toys. Make it into an art room or an area to build model cars, or whatever your child's interests develop into. It could also be a computer room or children's library.

[Pookie]

At age 2 (DS), we're definatley not ready to get rid of the playroom. However DH and I were talking about having a "kids' room" like kind of a den/study that the kids could have their friends over to and still have some private space away from their "uncool" parents. I'm talking tv, computer, desk, futon, etc.

[LeighW]

My DD will be 4 in May, and we still use the playroom. It is right next to the kitchen, in what is really the diningroom.

If my DD remained an only, I had planned to convert back to a diningroom when she entered kindergarten, although we could do it now. She is trustworthy and I would feel OK about her playing alone in the familyroom, which is a floor below the kitchen and main living spaces.

We're adopting #2, so now my plan is to wait until #2 is 4 or so.

We have a familyroom plus a bonus room on the lower floor, so space isn't a problem. Our main issue is having toddlers playing far away when I'm cooking, etc.

[Littlelamb11]

DD is 4.5 and DS is 14 months. We're reclaiming our first floor playroom this year. We're going to make it a library. We plan on giving DS a cabinet for books and puzzles but that's it.

The kids now have a 1000 sqft playroom in the basement (we finished it over a year ago) which will always be theirs. Ok, 800sqft is theirs...we did make a workout room for us. We made it more like a family room (sitting area, coffee table, entertainment unit etc) with a large play area off to one side, a toy storage area with floor to wall shelves cabinets and a small countertop, and a smaller area with pergo on the floor with a long 4 chair wooden preschool table, craft shelves, easel etc. that specifically for messy art projects. We also have their computer table in that area. But since it's classic looking and not a romper room explosion, it can easily be converted to a big kid/teenager rec room. Growing up, DH and I both had basement that was for the kids all the way through high school.

[mamax2]

I played in my playroom for a loooong time - until I was 10ish, I think! That said, we'll probably do away w/our first floor playroom when our youngest is 5/6. We don't have basements here, but we do have a walk-up attic w/a window so it gets light and feels like a real room (minus plumbing for a bathroom!). We plan to finish this space and make it a game room/lounge for our kids as they get older and re-claim the first floor room as a guest bedroom.

[pixielou]

thanks for the thoughts. i was kinda thinking school age - dd is only 2.5 now, so thats another 3 years or so. my goal is to eventually turn the dining room into a den - which would be fine for an older kid as well as hang out space for mom and dad.

we haven't moved into the house yet. i know the dining room is pink and white - though i really can't say what shape the paint is in since the current owners have *tons* of clutter. imo - pink is fine for a playroom, but hideous for a dining room or den. so i'm thinking i'll just leave the room as is, and move the toys in. and in a couple years, when we can reclaim the space for ourselves, then i can redo the room. we have so many other things that need to be done to the house that playroom decor is kinda low on the priority list.

~pixie

[Littlelamb11]

pixie--

I think leaving it as is, is a great idea. (the owners had a pink dining room? interesting, LOL. works for a playroom though!) Even if the paint isn't in stellar shape, I wouldn't see much of a point in repainting if it's liveable when you know it's only temporarily a playroom and you'll probably want to cover it up with your DD's artwork anyway. It can get dinged, get paint dripped on it, whatever.

[DallasLady]

We have a room that will be the playroom (DD is only 5 months old) I plan to keep it the kids playroom/rec room throughout their lives. It can become where their TV, computer and video games are when they are older (we will no allow any of these in their bedrooms) and where they can hang out with friends.