Fun Additions That Will Make Your Kids Love Your Home

While most adults prefer their homes to be as neat and organized as possible, many often encounter difficulties in managing their properties once they become parents. While most children can be easily taught about certain behaviors, it would be unfair for parents to deprive their kids of the fun and excitement just so the house remains clean and clutter-free.

Making home improvements and renovations to suit the needs of a child is an exciting venture for new parents. However, unlike most home modification projects primarily done to improve the functionality, livability and aesthetic value of a home, more often than not, fun outweighs practicality in additions dedicated for children.

Five things that every parent should take into careful consideration:

First, consider how much you are willing to spend for the project. While everyone would love to spend as little as possible, you also have to think about the durability and safety of the new improvements. Kids can be pretty careless when they’re having fun so make sure that any new structure or installation is of fair quality.
How much space are you going to allot for the project? Will it be done indoors or outside the house? Kids need wide spaces where they can move around and do all sorts of activities. Consider giving up the basement or the garage – free up the space for their use – or turn a portion of the lawn into their play area. Dedicating space for your kids also helps you avoid mixing adult stuff with their play things.
Does a project suit your kids’ interests and hobbies? Let them in on the project and incorporate their ideas and preferences – get them to make a design of their ideal play area. This guarantees their commitment on the project. Plus, there’s no sense in making changes that they wouldn’t actually enjoy.
Consider hiring a contractor/designer; an expert can definitely pitch in some unique and practical ideas on which projects are ideal for your home and can help in turning the addition into a beautiful development. Also, leaving more complex tasks in the hands of professionals ensures that the structure will be built with the proper skills and caution.
Finally, think long-term when coming up with the best home improvement projects for your kids’ enjoyment. While they may enjoy a little tree house or an indoor playroom now, they may not feel as strongly towards it in five years’ time. Opt for changes and installations that you’re sure they’ll enjoy for a long time, or better yet, invest on impermanent changes which can be easily taken down or modified in the future.

Fun Home Additions That Will Make Your Kids Love Your Home

Indoor Projects

If you have a relatively spacious home then allotting some space for you kids’ play area wouldn’t be much of a problem.

From Basement to Playroom

If you have nothing going on in your basement, attic or any spare room, you can easily turn the extra space into your kid’s play or activity room.

Leave the center of the room free and spacious so they have sufficient space to actually play. Since the basement is basically out of sight from guests, you won’t have a problem about kids doing all their messy activities in there.
If your kids are into movies and video games, you can turn the basement into an entertainment studio. Install a projector so they can watch their movies or play their games in the wide screen.
If your kids enjoy making artworks, you’ve probably already accumulated a mass of art materials. Keep them organized in a neat cabinet or shelf, accessible to the kids at all times. Dedicate a portion of a wall in the family room for their best masterpieces.
Equip the room with kid-size tables and chairs and other furniture that they can use to perform their crafts.
Turn a wall into a chalkboard by painting it with a dark color and using chalkboard paint. If you’re a fun parent, you’d extend their “freedom wall” to the floor.
Make a fun secret entrance, such as a bookcase entrance, to the basement.

Keep the Bedroom Fun

For some kids, their bedroom is also their playroom, and this can be a pretty challenging case for parents and children alike. How do the parents keep kids from playing when it’s naptime or bedtime when they’re surrounded by all sorts of fun things? And how can kids fit all their play things in one room and still have enough space for all their activities?

A simple solution to the said dilemma is incorporating different levels in the room; investing on a vertical design works best for small rooms so more floor space is reserved for the child’s activities, and installing closed cabinets keeps everything neat when playtime is over. You can create a loft and invest on multi-purpose installations, such as a bed that doubles as a cabinet or stairs that also serve as shelves.

Invest in Outdoor Fun

Normally, there are more projects that can be done concerning the exterior of your home since there is generally more space outside (for typical homes). Reserve one side of the lawn for your child’s outdoor adventures to spare your house of all the mess.

Set up a tent or any structure that can provide a shade outside the house where your kids can do their activities. Throw in some cute furniture for their tea parties and kitchen games.
A playground – swing, see-saw, slide, sandbox, and all – is a typical outdoor addition. This also saves your kid and his friends the trouble of visiting the park.
If you find that building a tree house for your kid is too risky then you can always opt for a play house on ground. If you build it large enough, all her toys that you don’t really want inside the house can go there.
If your kids are into certain sports, like basketball, golf, skateboarding and badminton, allot an area where they can do these activities. You don’t have to build an entire court or a large skate park, just enough space where they can practice.
You can also incorporate fun in your homes landscaping, such as making tunnels and mazes in the garden.