
Guide to Creating an Indoor Active Play Area
As parents, we all want our children to be healthy, happy, and active. Some kids need more activity and/or stimulation than others to make that happen. I know that my youngest son needs a ton of physical activity for him to get what he needs in his sensory diet to be able to be calm and focused. One of the best ways to ensure he is getting enough exercise and stimulation is to provide him with opportunities to play and explore. However, it can be challenging to find safe and engaging active play, especially when the weather is too hot or when it’s raining, and he can’t go outside. Sometimes, I have to work, clean the house or take care of other things, like my other kids, and when that happens , it can be challenging to find ways to keep my son entertained and engaged without him destroying the house or just creating general chaos.
I found that the best way to help provide him a safe and stimulating environment was to create an indoor active play area in own home. When my son is able to move around, play and get the sensory diet he is craving, everyone in our family is able to have a much more productive and happy day.
In addition to getting the physical activity needed, indoor active play areas can also be a great way to encourage imaginative play. When children have access to imaginative play items they can use their creativity to come up with their own games and scenarios. This type of play helps children develop their cognitive and social skills and can also be a great way to build confidence and self-esteem. Indoor play areas can also be a great way to bond with your child. When you create a play area in your home, you're providing a space where you and your child can spend quality time together. This can help strengthen your relationship and create lasting memories.
Here are some ideas for your indoor active play area:
Ball pits are a classic play area that many children love. They're easy to setup in your own home and can provide hours of entertainment for your child.
One of the biggest benefits of a ball pit is that it can help children develop their sensory skills. The feeling of the balls on their skin and the sound they make as they move around can provide a lot of sensory input, which can be calming and soothing for some children. For others, it can be a great way to get their energy out and engage in physical activity.
Sensory areas are another great play area to create in your home. A sensory area is a space that's designed to provide different types of sensory input to children. This can include things like different textures, lighting, smells, and sounds.
Sensory areas can be particularly beneficial for children with sensory processing disorder or other sensory issues. These children may struggle with certain types of sensory input, and having a dedicated space where they can control the types of input they receive can be very helpful.
You'll want to think about the types of sensory input your child enjoys. For example, if your child loves the feeling of different textures, you might create a space with different types of fabrics, such as faux fur, satin, and corduroy. If your child enjoys different smells, you might add essential oils to the space.
See our other blog post on How LED Light Tables Can Be Helpful For Children With Sensory Issues.
Obstacle Course
Indoor obstacle courses provide a physical challenge that helps kids develop coordination, balance and overall fitness. Kids must use their creativity and critical thinking to find the best way to complete each obstacle, which can lead to a sense of accomplishment and pride. You can buy one like the Cave Alfresco or the Goodevas Montessori Climbing Toys or you can just make your own at home out of what you have. Check out Parenting Magazine’s article on how to create one.
Mini Trampoline
Mini trampolines are a fantastic addition to kids indoor play areas and provide children with a fun way to bounce around and get their heart rates up. Mini trampolines are also great for developing balance and coordination, as well as building strength in the legs and core. In addition, jumping on a trampoline has been shown to release endorphins, which can help reduce stress and improve mood. I like the mini trampolines that are made specifically for little kids that have safety feature like netting around the outside, so kids don’t fall off and get hurt and covering over the bottom of the sides so kids don’t climb under when others are jumping.
Jumbo-sized modular building blocks are another great option for indoor play areas. These oversized blocks are designed for children to build and construct with, allowing them to use their imaginations and creativity to create their own structures. Building with blocks also promotes problem-solving skills and helps children develop spatial awareness.
One of the great things about jumbo-sized modular building blocks is that they can be used by children of all ages and skill levels. Younger children can simply stack the blocks on top of each other, while older children can create more complex structures and designs. These have also been great for our son that needs to “work” out his energy. He can reorganize the play area and move large stacks of blocks from one side of the room to the other. He has fun using his imagination and gets a workout at the same time.
A quiet space is also an important part of our indoor active play area. While it's important for children to have space to run and play, it's also important for them to have a quiet space where they can relax and recharge. Quiet spaces can include areas for reading, drawing, or simply sitting and reflecting.
Quiet spaces are particularly important for children who may be overstimulated or overwhelmed. While it may seem odd that kids that are so crazy active and noisy need a quiet space, I know that after getting overstimulated during the day sometimes my son just needs a quiet place to take a break and reset.
Because my son needs a lot of physical activity, we are blessed to have an inground pool and outdoor jungle gym but on super-hot Arizona days summer days he can't play outside so we new we had to create an area just for him too. We started with a mini trampoline first and then gradually added more items as we figured out what helped him the most. He has always loved playing with water, so we added a Sensory Table that let him move water around with cups etc. When he got a little older, we added Jumbo Sized Modular Blocks. He moved them to different areas in the room to make fort walls to hide during nerf gun wars. We continue to make changes and additions based on what works best. He still has what feels like unlimited energy but having a designated indoor play area for him to go and entertain himself really helped manage our crazy busy after school hours without just setting him in front of a TV.
To get started on your own indoor play area think about what type of activities your child is drawn to or research what has worked for others (How to Create a Sensory Diet - The OT Toolbox ) then come up with a list of items to include. Incorporating these items into your home won't make every day perfect but it has made a huge difference for my son and everyone else in our family.
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