Kid's Activity and Craft Area Upstairs

The last few days, I've made some changes upstairs.  I've been moving furniture and placing items in different areas.  One new area I've created is a kid's activity and craft area on our main level.

Normally, the kids would color, play cards and make a mess on the kitchen table.

I needed a new solution because it was such a pain!  We would have to clean up their books and crayons for meals and snacks multiple times a day.  Since the table is large, crayons would roll across the table and soon the boys would be chasing them and crawling all over the table.  I also have my laptop on the kitchen table so it got a little crowded.

I wanted an area that the kids could access when they want and push their own chairs in.  Currently, when they want to color (which is about 10 different times a day!) I have to push their chairs in for them.  HUGE pain!

The newly created activity space is by our back door.  We hardly use this door, especially in winter.

If we need to get outside, we usually use the patio door that is a few footsteps away instead.  So far this space is working well.  I can see them and keep an eye on them from the living room and the kitchen.

I used 2 IKEA tables we have had for years.  The kids were using these white tables downstairs with their kitchen set.  They are triangles and are the perfect size for them.  A separate table for each boy is working well.  Fights are reduced since they each have their own space to play.

These chairs are the right height, inexpensive, and don't match.  Every time I walk by the chairs, I giggle inside because they look so odd to me.  Maybe no one else notices how they don't match, but it definitely bugs me!

Each boy has a basket of things to do.  My youngest has washable crayons, coloring books and a set of picture cards.  My oldest has crayons, dry erase crayons (the dry erase crayons are great, they don't dry out!), coloring books, stickers, and card games. 


Things to Improve/Change:

1. Get matching chairs - not only are the chairs different colors, they are also different sizes.

2. Curtain - this small window can let in a lot of light since it faces west.  A curtain will help my oldest boy see his coloring book easier, and stop the blinding sunlight.

So far I'm loving this new space.  I'm saving time and my sanity because their mess is now contained to an area and not all over my kitchen table!

As Always,
Sandra