Some parents love to play with their kids, and this parent-child play can be key for everything from early bonding to developing your child’s communication skills. In recent years, however, research has highlighted the benefits of independent play, which experts now believe should be encouraged from babyhood onwards. 

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to encourage independent play at home, and few are better than an entirely child-safe playroom. But is your playroom properly set up for independent play right now? Possibly not if you find that your kids often still ask for you. 

Changing the space with independent play in mind could prove game-changing, and should center around top tips like the ones we’ll discuss in this article. 

Tip 1: Keep Toys in Easy Reach

Letting children choose which toys they interact with is a huge element of independent play, but it’ll never be possible in a playroom with closed cupboards and high shelves. 

Instead, it’s worth opting for a Montessori-style playroom layout that sees all of your children’s toys within easy reach for young hands. Open cabinet storage is fantastic for this purpose, as it’s not only easily reachable but also allows you to set out your child’s available toys. Open, child-friendly bookcase setups are also beneficial and should include a few select books based on things like your child’s current interests, or their particular areas of learning at any time. 

Tip 2: Set the Space up to Accommodate you

While children from around 4+ will be more than happy to play in a safe space on their own sometimes, younger children will probably want you around, even when they’re engaging in independent play. This is entirely natural, but you’ll want to avoid sitting directly on the floor with them or interrupting what they’re trying to do.

As such, it’s important to design a playroom that also accommodates your presence in a non-obtrusive way. Investing in adult seating options like these 2 seater sofas can be especially great for this, as it keeps you close and in the heart of the action, but still a little apart so your kids can play. Equally, open-plan playroom setups can work well here, as they could see you taking care of tasks elsewhere in the space, while still ensuring you’re present when your kids ask for you. 

Tip 3: Think About Toy Layout

It’s also worth thinking hard about toy layout in your playroom, especially if you have younger children who may need an initial spark to get them started on independent games. The best option here is to center your playroom setup around engaging activities that your child can easily get stuck into, like a toy kitchen ready-stocked with food, or clearly laid out puzzles

As well as giving your child some indication of how to start playing in this space, it’s possible to utilize toy layouts to guide learning in crucial ways. All while allowing your child to practice making independent decisions. 

Transform your child’s playroom into an oasis of independent play when you put these pointers into action.