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Time to Play
Monday, March 08, 2010 by Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
I may have been wrong about this whole "spring has sprung thing." Here in Cleveland, we welcomed March with a good foot (yes, FOOT) of new snow. It's beautiful and it made for a fun 20 minutes outside and a few good pics.
The question became what to do with the rest of the day. How are you spending your wintry days? Any good ideas for keeping your munchkin busy?
It's times like these that I am thankful for the playroom.
As soon (literally, as soon) as I found out I was expecting, I went to work. The "nesting instinct" must have kicked into high gear. The guest room vanished in days. Out went the bed and the dresser. I'll welcome guests to the couch, I thought (yes, some hostess am I!). There were more important things. I needed a place to hang with my kid. I needed a place for their "stuff." I knew my newborn wouldn't dig it as much as I did, but I also knew that as soon as they arrived, there may not be the time to create the playroom I envisioned.
So, what's inside?
1. A safety mirror: www.discountschoolsupply.com/NewDSS/Product/ProductDetail.aspx. Mounted close to the floor, this little gem is a great centerpiece of the room. What's better than an infant/toddler's reflection in the mirror? Not much, especially when they squeal with glee at their own smile.
2. Easy clean-up rug. Why? Spit-up, pee...need I say more? Nah, you're a parent. You get it. Here's an example of some of the good stuff out there when it comes to rugs (I especially like the "Lifetime Anti-Bacterial Treatment"): www.discountschoolsupply.com/NewDSS/Product/ProductDetail.aspx
3. See-through bins or other easily accessed containers. Buying for babies is fun (which nearly every one of your friends and family are soon to show you). Containers will not only minimize clutter, it will enable you to swap out toys ("ta-da, there's something new to play with!").
4. Things that will grow with baby. My playroom includes a magnetic dry-erase board. Here's a "posh" example: www.amazon.com/Magna-Visual-WOW-3648-Magnetic-Planning/dp/B0006VO34M/ref=sr_1_10. As a toddler, I've introduced the magnetic letters to put on the board, but the markers are bound to be a great new thing when the munchkin gets old enough to realize the difference between coloring on this cool board vs. the walls.
. I also added a large map of the world. The map is definitely more for me now, but I figure at some point it will be a great tool for exploring the possibilities ahead. Bonus: it was a cheap way to fill a lot of space on a wall with something educational and visually cool to look at.
What's in your playroom? Please share your ideas.
And, I 'm off...It's time to PLAY!
