Question about indoor play spaces

[pbresolin]

Hi everyone,

I'm not new here but I haven't posted in a long time.  My interest in Waldorf has peaked again as my children are becoming school age.  We just moved house and my question is about indoor play spaces.  We have an up and down stairs, but it makes sense to me to have the play things down here where we do the most living.  Do you have all of your playthings in one room, or are they spread  out?  What I mean by spread out is do you have your kitchen toys in your kitchen and your other toys in another room?  Do you have a separate reading nook for those who are old enough to read, or are all the toys together?  I realize a lot of this will depend on the size of your house and how many toys you actually have, etc.  We don't have that many but I really would just like to get some fun ideas ~ and pics if you want to share them!  :-) ~

Also, I read something about a Waldorf subforum.  What typeps of topics are discussed in there and where would I find it? 

Thanks!

Trish :)

[appalachiamama]

At our house, most of the toys are in the family living area, contained within the playstands.  We have others on our enclosed back porch off the kitchen (like the play kitchen), but most of our living happens in the living room.  We rotate toys, depending on moods and seasons, so we don't have a whole lot out at once.  Art happens in the dining room, doll play happens in the bedroom (where the dolls have their bed and hammock), reading and active play happens in the main living area.  I try to keep bedrooms mainly for rest.  Hope that helps!

[mommariffic]

I think having little nooks around the house is fun (Playful Learning Spaces is a great reference for this!) 

We have a "play room" which is off kitchen and where the children are 90% of the time. It has their toys in areas (wooden blocks in a basket, train tracks in a basket, dinos in a basket etc) and we have a reading "nook" in that area over by the bookshelf. Ok let me rephrase that -- we WILL have those things, we just moved in three days ago. My life is in boxes! We have the play kitchen in the kitchen because we have space for it here -- I think we will have a "school" learning "craft" area in the living room which is currently again, empty sans a piano. 

I know a few people that do "toys in the bedrooms only" but that doesn't work for us. We are not in our bedrooms except to sleep or get dressed so why would I keep our things in there? I am also totally happy to have my house looking like a preschool or something ; ) 

[aHikaru]

We have a Waldorf playroom, which I believe, overall, works much better for our daughters age range (2+). She likes to bring things out to the living room or wherever I am, but when it's time to clean up it all goes in one room, in it's own place. 

Having things everywhere seemed to make AE think the whole house was her play space, but having a playroom makes her feel good about having her own place for her toys.