This is what we were doing during the break between Christmas and New Year's - redoing the entire basement that's halfway underground. Part of the project is the Play/Learning Room. We moved it into a larger bedroom so as to be able to make more things visible for our little ones to pick for choices as well as freeing up the middle of the room for play/work. Not completely finished with painting of walls and trims but was ready for a move-in and so we did to declutter temporary holding areas that are/were being redone as well. The green wall that you see in the pics will be painted over to match the rest of the room. Also there will be some decorative additions, change of ceiling fan, etc.
I must add that this room and everything in it were done and obtained on a budget - garage sale scores, ebay scores, small business scores, repurposing, gifts and our own sweat and time! :-)
Art area with art supplies stored away in Sterilite drawers on casters in the closet. Underneath the art easel are coloring books and Crayola Color Wonder pads in a crate.
Montessori area
Choices to pick from and all three part cards, language art cards, etc. stored in one drawer below. The other drawer holds all my teaching manuals and resource books for all subject areas.
Reading wall.
Complete with book offerings that will be rotated as well as hand and finger puppets for storytelling. Shelf above the book display racks holds games, board games as well as educational themed kits.
Mixed boxes of larger building toys - Superstructs, Lincoln Logs, TinkerToy, etc, animal replicas, puzzles, phonics magnets, etc. To make full use of these homemade shelves that extend out of the frame, I put materials on the ends too.
Reading area
Consists of books (of course) and music CDs/tapes. The basket holds E's workbooks that he's currently working on. In the drawers I have placed all the puzzle maps. Happily all the puzzles fit beautifully in one drawer with space left over on top. The other drawer holds all of E's electronic learning devices like Leap Pad, etc. Actually, nicely placed against the wall on the side is E's Quadrilla Marble Run hidden behind some large charts and wipe and clean boards that's partly visible. Every little bit of space counts!
Math + area
First shelf for math manipulatives (Haba Froebel Gifts) and more animal replicas (small). On top are three decorative chalkboards intended for the wall.
Second shelf - Base ten material, constructive triangles, stereognostic bags, alphabet and number stamps and a Ravensburger block puzzle.
Third shelf - Zoob, Konstruktor, Twig, wooden memory game, etc.
Fourth shelf - math manipulatives in a basket, wooden dominoes, wooden stencils, etc.
Homemade playdough in tubs on the floor.
Puzzles, games, language art games and manipulatives in jars, etc.
Various views of the room - floor space and wall.
More hand puppets in a little white basket seen here.
Rugs from former E's nursery.
This green wall here next to the window where the giraffe and skeleton stand is where a big bulletin board will be placed to pin up artwork, etc.
This is the first shelf one sees upon entering the room.
Most gratifying for me to see E and baby M already enjoying this new space. This space helps E be organized as well as provide ample floor space for me for play with baby M. Tables and chairs can be moved to the side if we needed more floor space.
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