4Real Forums: Learning Room AND playroom? (m)

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Nurturing the Years of Wonder ( Forum Locked)
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Topic: Learning Room AND playroom? (m)

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AndieF
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Posted: Aug 21 2008 at 10:36pm \| IP Logged

Well, up until a couple of years ago, we used one of our bedrooms for the learning room (we use a CM/Montessori mix.) But a year ago, we converted the learning room back into a bedroom, and we no longer have a bedroom available to use for a learning room. We have a very large family room, however, and we put the couch and TV on one side and then moved all the shelves and school materials onto the other side of the family room. The learning room side is about 16 x 14. With the shelves and the easel, small table & chairs, etc., there is not a lot of room for toys in the learning room. Normally, I would prefer to not have toys in the learning room, but the bedrooms don't really have room for toys either. We don't have a lot of toys really, but Samuel (age 3) has some wooden trains and some firetrucks and a dump truck, and the girls have silks & dress-up items and a dollhouse, and a couple of cloth dolls & a doll cradle and high chair. I would love it if we had a small room that we could use as a playroom, but we don't. Things are further complicated by the fact that I teach a Montessori-based preschool class out of my home two mornings a week to five preschoolers. Would you put the toys in the learning room, try and find someplace in the bedrooms/closets, or someplace else? Any suggestions would be greatly appeciated.

Andie, homeschooling mom to two girls (8 & 6) one boy (3) and home-based preschool teacher to 5.

Erin
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Posted: Aug 21 2008 at 11:14pm \| IP Logged

Andie

I was talking to a friend about this subject this week. She designed her own home and is about to sell. I asked her if she would change anything if she builds again, she said, "only having two separate rooms for the playroom and learning room." Apparently the playroom doesn't get used because her little children always want to be near where her and the older children are working. And unfortunately they didn't make their learning room large enough (10 children) so she would change that.

Dh and I have planned our future extensions (like 2yrs +) and we're planning on having the two rooms next to each other with a concertina door separating them if needed.

Could you build/buy some shelves/cupboard with doors to lock to keep the toys away unless you want them out? Obviously you wouldn't want them out on your Montessori days.

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Tina
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Posted: Aug 22 2008 at 12:47am \| IP Logged

I'd have to agree with Erin. We have our toys (mostly for my 2 yr. old) in the learning room with us. It's mostly what fits in his toybox/shelves and a little preschool table and also his board books. So we are not "overloaded". It was the only thing I could come up with for now because he wants to be with us, and for safety, "togetherness" and convenience, I wanted him in my sight all the time.

It can be a distraction to the older children, so for their independant work, they go to the dining room. I can get to them if they need me, but my 2yo can't. Other than that we just have to "go with the flow".

Like Erin said, I would suggest the cabinets and/or high shelves so you have the option to put away the toys during your preschool time, but I would still want the stuff in the room for the sake of your 3 yr. old during all the other times.

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mary
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Posted: Aug 22 2008 at 7:13am \| IP Logged

we keep some toys in the learning room (sunroom) but they take up little space and keep the toddler occupied. we have a train table as the coffee table, and two racks with boxes of toys. we also have a toy kitchen in the room. there are other toys, but i consider them to be educational (puzzles, easel, math manipulatives, etc.) i love the set up - common toys are in this room. big kid toys (like legos or dolls) are in the kids' own rooms.

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