Playing is how children learn to interact with the world. A dedicated playroom can give children a place to play without interfering with the rest of the house. If you’re able to dedicate a playroom to your kids, it allows you to design that space to fit their unique personalities. Basements are a great place to build a play area for your kids. If you are thinking of turning your basement into a playroom then check out our list of basement playroom ideas for kids.
1) Reading Corner
If your child loves to read, then create a reading corner with just a few simple items. Add shelves to store books. Include a comfortable place to sit, either a small couch, or several comfortable pillows that can be arranged as your child likes. Finally, make sure that the corner is well lit. The simple addition of rope lighting, or a lamp will give your child plenty of light to read by. You can find instructions on how to make the DIY reading nook above by clicking here.
2) Craft Area
Another great basement playroom idea is a children’s craft area. With a small table and chair, your child will have a place to draw, color, and paint. The hanging bins and shelve behind the desk provide ample storage for craft supplies. The addition of a bulletin board and calendar will help your child keep track of important dates and a place to hang mementos. These hanging racks can be purchased here.
3) Storage Shelves and Bins
Speaking of storage, your child will need places to store toys, art supplies, and books. You can buy shelving units to use for your child’s storage needs. Adding bins to the shelves will give place to store loose objects like toys and stuffed animals. If you include a short shelf, you can place pillows and cushions along the top to create a sitting area. Click here to find the cloth cubby cubes.
4) Pegboard Storage Wall
Another great idea for storage is to add a pegboard storage wall. Traditionally, pegboard is thought to be something found in an adult workshop or art room, but it can be used to store all types of toys, from model planes and trains, to Nerf guns and craft supplies. Pegboard comes in a variety of colors as well, so it should be easy to find a color to fit your design ideas. Here’s a great wiki on how to mount pegboard onto drywall.
5) Lego Table
As a variation to the Craft Area, you can create a Lego table. This is an easy DIY project. All you need here is a table from Ikea on which you can attach a peel and stick Lego base plate. Arrange several tables alongside each other to give your child room to spread out. Include a stand alone storage bin or wall mounted bins to store loose Legos. Follow this link for a quick and inexpensive DIY Lego Table.
6) Dress up Closet
Does your child like to play dress up? Then dedicate a whole area in the basement as a dress up closet. Convert a shelving unit into a closet with a wooden dowel rod, some paint and a few other simple tools. Be sure to include a mirror and storage areas for trinkets and accessories. To build this dress up closet yourself, click here.
7) Add a Stage
If your child loves to sing, dance, or is learning to play an instrument, convert a corner of your basement into a performance stage. This can simply be a curtained off area, or if your budget is bigger, you can add a raised platform. You’ll want to light the area with canned lighting. Rope lighting will work as well. Here’s a great article on how to build a corner stage for your kid.
8) Kids Art Wall
Another thing that you can include in a craft area is a wall dedicated to your child’s art. It can be as simple as a few strings hung between two nails or drywall screws with multicolored clothespins to pin the art up, or you can use wall hooks, dowel rods and clip on curtain rings. Here’s where you go to find out how to do this super easy DIY project.
9) Under the Stair Hideaway
If you have a storage space under your basement stairs, you can convert it to a cozy little hideaway. Let your imagination run wild with this one. Create a mini house front including a porch light and small window. Or the entrance to a spaceship. Whatever you think your child might love. If you want to build your own playroom under the stairs, here’s where you go.
10) Chalkboard
Include a low hanging chalkboard for your kids to draw on. This can be done several ways. You can buy a chalkboard and hang it so that it is within your child’s reach, or you can also paint a whole wall with chalkboard paint (which you can buy or make yourself). Make it magnetic so your child can have extra fun with magnetic letters! Want to know how you can make your own magnetic chalkboard? Click here.
11) Indoor Gym
Don’t let bad weather keep your kids from getting the physical activity they need. You can include an indoor gym in your basement playroom. There are a variety of prebuilt indoor gyms that you can buy to install in your home. However, there are also do it yourself options like the one pictured here. To find a prefabricated indoor gym, click here.
12) Climbing Wall
Another idea for bad weather days is to install a climbing wall in your basement. There are several different ways to do this and they all require a little knowledge of carpentry. You can make a free-standing climbing wall or build one on an existing wall in your basement. Even with the low ceilings that most basements have, you’ll want to make sure to include plenty of safe floor padding in case your little climber slips. Here’s an article on how to build an indoor climbing wall.
13) Add a Slide
Another possibility is to add a slide. If you have knowledge with home renovations, you can create an opening in a stair wall and add a slide to allow your child to slide down into their playroom. Another option is to lay a slide over an existing set of steps into your playroom basement. For a DIY article on how to lay a slide over a set of stairs, click here.
14) Indoor Playground
Of course, you can combine the previous three ideas into one and add an indoor playground to your basement. Here you can include slides, climbing areas, and even an upper loft that your kids can use as a hideout or indoor “tree house.” You can find prebuilt indoor playgrounds that can be assembled, or you can design and build your own. Follow this link for instructions on how to build your own indoor playground.
15) Play Cafe
Is your child a budding entrepreneur? Then build a play store, cafe or market in your basement playhouse. It can be a simple series of shelves that you purchase from IKEA arranged with toy produce or food and a simple sign attached to the front, or it can be a fancy coffee shop design like the one here. An easy DIY for a kids grocery stand, can be found here.
16) Play Kitchen
If your child is into cooking or baking, add a play kitchen. As with the indoor playground, you can find many different prebuilt types of these or you can design and build your own. Be sure to include toy versions of all the knick-knacks you would find in a kitchen; oven mitts, small appliances, and utensils. For a real simple DIY play kitchen, follow this link.
17) Board Game Room
If your kids are older, you might want to consider turning your basement into a board game room. This idea is actually a great space for family night. Make sure to include a large table with several comfortable chairs. You’ll also need track lighting or some other type of overhead lighting to illuminate the play space. Finally, you’ll need shelves to store the board game collection. Here’s a how to article to build your own gaming table.
18) Video Gaming Room
Maybe your older kid is more into video games. Basements also make great places for a video gaming room. Along with a television and gaming console, you’ll need a comfortable gaming chair as well as shelves to store games and to display video game related memorabilia. Consider adding color changing LED lighting strips to give your game room a groovy vibe. To purchase some remote controlled LED lighting strips, check out Amazon.
19) Sport Room
If you have lots of space in your basement, you might want to consider turning it into a sport room for your kids. You can paint the floor to look like a football field, a soccer field, or a basketball court; or, you can use sport matting to pad the floors. You’ll also want to pad the walls as well, to absorb the shock from a wildly thrown ball or tackled player. To find a good wall mounted basketball hoop, click here.
20) Ping Pong Table
Here’s another idea if your kids are older and you have a lot of space. Create a table tennis area in your basement. Along with the ping pong table, you can include a bar area for drinks and snacks, as well as bar stools for seating. Be sure to include cabinets or shelves to store your ping pong paddles and balls. Go here for a wide variety of ping pong tables.
21) Pool Table
Another great idea for family gatherings is to add a pool table to your basement. This can be a playroom for kids of all ages to enjoy. You can install a bench and cabinet combination for comfort, and to store pool cues. You’ll want to make sure the table is well lit with canned lighting or a pool table light. You can also hang a chalkboard nearby to keep score when playing straight pool. For an awesome selection of pool tables, click this link.
So, as you can see, there are many ways to convert your basement to a playroom for your kids. Not only that, but there are ways to do it that range from simple DIY projects all the way to full budget renovations.
The key is to make it a great place for your kids to explore, read, create, and even get in some physical activity. It’s also a place where you can cater to your child’s personality and specific interest – regardless of how old your child is.
What do you think? Any ideas we didn’t cover? Have an idea that should be included on our list and isn’t? Please let us know in the comments below!
