Are you a mom who is passionate about educational toys?  Are you a designer looking to showcase your work?  Considering becoming a blogger with A Perfect Playroom!

Five years ago I started this blog to help educate parents on the importance of playtime in the lives of their children and have throughly enjoyed researching and writing articles for the site.  However, with the growth of Two Wheeling Tots, an off-shoot of my most popular post here, I no longer have the ability to give A Perfect Playroom the time and energy it deserves.  As a result, I am looking for either a moms and/or designers who would be interested in writing posts on this site.  As of now, bloggers will not be paid for their posts, however any personal links to personal blogs, design sites or even affiliate links to recommended products (i.e. toys, design items) will be accepted.  Advertisements (including Google Adsense)  within a post and paid endorsements or reviews will not be accepted.   All images included in posts must be scaled down and be your own, be used with permission or in some cases simply provide links to the original source.  All posts will be reviewed for appropriate contact by me prior to going live.  If you are interested, email me me a brief introduction about yourself as well as an example article or link to a previously posted article.  Once accepted, you will be welcome to submit articles as often or as little as you like.  Thanks!

Standard Unit Blocks

Odds are, if you have a set of standard, unpainted blocks, they are probably unit blocks.  Unit blocks are designed in “units” to allow them to be stacked in various combinations while remaining level (as seen in photo to the left).  Melissa & Doug sets are well made and can often be found at a great price.  To complement the typical, unpainted standard blocks Melissa & Doug has made several complementary sets to add some pizazz to the basic blocks.

Melissa & Doug Architectural Unit Block Set: Wood columns, roman arches and other stylized blocks.

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden 53-Piece Town Blocks Set: Trees, cars, buses and buildings.

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Vehicles & Traffic Signs: Traffic signs, cars with plastic wheels that roll.

Guidecraft is another company that has expanded their wood block repertoire.  Instead of adding colors, pictures and accessories to their blocks, they are using the blocks to create animals and cars.  Called Block Mates, these plastic forms, fit onto standard unit blocks an come in dinosaur, safari and farm animal sets as well as community and construction vehicle sets.

For the artsier crowd, Guidecraft has also created several colorful block options.

Available in rainbow bead, shimmering water, rainbow blocks and now mirror and sand, these unit blocks are sure to add some spice to your block creations.

If adding to your pile of blocks wasn’t what you had in mind, try reinventing your current block collection.  Over at Preschool Daze, a little chalkboard paint helped them to create open-ended unit blocks.

From schools to spaceships, these do-it-yourself blocks will be sure to entertain your kids.

To create a timeless keepsake as well as a kid-friendly toy, check out Made by Joel‘s simple yet brilliant idea for woodblocks.

Using a simple and inexpensive woodburner, Joel’s kids now have custom people for their playhouse.

Finally, if you can’t change your blocks, perhaps a new place to play with them would help.

Over at The Imagination Tree, a giant cardboard box, destine for the recycle bin, was quickly transformed into an ultimate mat.

If you want your kids to play with their blocks, in the end, the best thing you can do is get down on the ground with them and show them their potential.  Too often kids today simply don’t know how to design their own world with a blank slate.  Without a set of instructions or a video or game show to mimic, open-ended toys can often be more work than kids are willing to give, but with a little encouragement and a peaceful place to play, their natural desire to build usually wins out their need to be entertained.

To see some more creative use of blocks, check out these related posts:

Citiblocs, Kapla and Keva Planks – the ultimate building blocks!

Cuboro – A True Toy Masterpiece!

ShapeMaker, a true multi-tasker!

The arched doorways and wooden shutters add to the amazing detail of the houses.

While the play houses are impressive, the true take home lessons from Samantha’s playroom is how she used the space.  Instead of designing every nook and cranny, she left a vast majority of the room wide open for the kids to play in.  In her own words, “We love having the open space with nothing taking up too much of the floor so they can run and be free – especially when the weather is too hot or too cold outside. Kids need room to not only run around, but also to set up their toys the way they wish. Our boys are really into cars right now, so they literally turn all of that floor space into a giant town with all of their play trucks, cars, planes, etc. They will create zones and neighborhoods and shopping areas. It’s really cute and amazing to see what they can create all on their own – without any input from me or my husband.”

Samantha’s wide open spaces do more than provide a blank canvas for play, they inspire kids to create.

and create, they do:

For more details about Samantha’s playroom, visit her blog at Simply Organized.

“By letting children control the environment where they spend the most time, you establish their self-confidence and security. Only when young ones see that they can have an effect on their surroundings will they cultivate the positive feelings essential to mastering the world around them.” – Antonio Torrice

(Shrubbery Climb Trees)

Tree Swing

(Decor Made Simple Tree Swing)

Magnetic Chalkboard Tree

(Pottery Barn Magnetic Tree)

Modern Tree-shaped Wall Bookshelf

(Shawn Soh Tree Bookshelf)

Whimsical Tree-shaped Bookshelf

(Happy Tree Bookshelf)

MacKenzie Collier Tree Doorframe

(MacKenzie Collier Interiors)

Bookshelf Tree Storage

(Daniele Lago Bookshelf)

Forward-facing Tree Bookshelf

(Simple Shapes Bookshelf)

So next time you “pin” your next playroom idea, keep “pining” or “Googling” until you have several variations to present to your kids.  By providing options, your kids will certainly increase their connection to the room and thereby help to create a place they will want to stay.

“Let children pick their own colors and they’re more apt to feel comfortable in their own environment.” – Victoria Stone, designer

]]> http://aperfectplayroom.com/?feed=rss2&p=2353 0 http://aperfectplayroom.com/?p=2353 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/APerfectPlayroom/~3/cP9ecO_GfGs/ http://aperfectplayroom.com/?p=2350#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 04:32:06 +0000 Natalie http://aperfectplayroom.com/?p=2350 Nothing says, “play with me” more than simple primary colors.  From crayons to cars, kids are drawn to the bright colors found in the rainbow.  Inspired by a picture she saw online, Shirley of Motivated Mommy of Two, put her talented painter dad to work to create a truly colorful playroom.

While bold, the bright colors really resonate with her kids who love to play in the playroom.  Recently, Shirley accomplished something on just about every parents “to-do” list, she completely reorganized her playroom.  To read more about Shirley’s playroom and she organized it, click here.

For the rest of us, who may not be as brave as Shirley, there are countless other ways to bring the primary colors into a play space.  Artwork is an easy way to add a pop of color to a white wall.  Even simple designs, such as these by Cammy Stenavich, can inspire kids to play and learn.

Need a place for your Dr. Seuss books, try this (Tot Tutors Book Rack) forward-facing bookshelf for a splash of useful color.

RoomMates Just Dots Primary Colors Peel & Stick Wall Decals

Need a place to sit.  This KidKraft table includes a storage bin along with two benches.

KidKraft Table with Primary Benches

Color coded storage bins is also a great way to help non-reading kids sort their toys.  These vegetable style storage bins are great find as they allow quick access to toys without the need for stubborn lids or the ability for kids to dump everything out all at once.

KidKraft Primary Wheely Trugs Storage Bins

Finally, this multitasking bench not only stores store, it provides a nice space for kids to sit and read.

Beck Children’s Wooden Bench with Fabric Bins

The design truly does speak for itself (although it someone does know what they are saying, please fill me in!).  One of my favorite take home projects from their room is the tree wall mural.  What an easy and clever way to add depth, dimension and color to a room.  By simply cutting out a plywood shape, mounting it away from the wall and painting it a contrasting color, a inspiring and unifying wall mural is created for a minimal cost.  To spice it up, you can even add some fabric to the tree as Mandy, from Sugar Bee Craft Edition, demonstrates. For additional take-away ideas and pictures visit Ohdeedoh’s post here.

Make it Your Own:

Seeing as most of this room is custom built, finding exact matches isn’t possible, but here are some inspirational pieces:

Ana White’s Twin Bed with Storage, Corner Hutch for Twin Storage Beds

White ledge shelf on wall dividers or plans for box shelves on wall divider doors (requires a fancy tool).  No fancy tool, try this plan.

Floating bookshelf behind the beds, IKEA, $19 to $30 or plans to build your own.

Vinyl wall decal of a large tree.

1.  The Closet Door Bookshelf

This bookshelf is actually mounted behind a standard folding closet door.  Click here for additional pictures and free plans from Ana White.

2.  A Secret Reading Loft

This standard closet was turned into a quiet getaway for kids.  See Dos Family and Ohdeeoh for additional information and pictures.

3.  Turn in into a blank canvas for your child’s imagination.

How about converting it princess’ or a knight’s castle with help from this Ikea treasure chest?

For less than $50 this mom helped her kids turn their closet into a spaceship.  Visit Electric Boogaloo or Ohdeeoh for more pictures and information.

Or a dress-up stage for your princess.  Additional photos here.

4.  Add a built-in bed.

Turn a playroom into a shared bedroom AND playroom with this creative fix.  Visit Design Sponge and Ohdeeoh for more information.

Or built a bed above the closet:

5. Turn it into a playhouse!

Absolutely AMAZING transformation from a simple closet!  A must see from Sawdust and Paper Scraps.