playbook
Reflections, valuable insights, hand-picked product recommendations, and so much more, all aimed at enhancing the everyday homes of families!
perspective is everything
Perspective is everything.
And when your child has a space designed specifically for their unique (and changing!) needs, it allows them to reflect on their ideas and experiences.
It provides perspective.
setting up for success
Environment impacts performance. I bet many of you reading this right now spent hours (days?) rearranging your workspace to achieve your definition of "greatness."
In the way a properly conceptualized workspace sets you up for success, a purposeful playroom reinforces the skills critical for healthy development.
Our core philosophy hinges on the playroom being one of the most critical areas of a home, and we believe it should be treated as such.
When you provide a child with a space at home that is thoughtfully and intentionally created just for them, they are given the opportunity to explore their ideas and practice skills they are developing purposefully.
through your child’s eyes
Imagine a playroom where your child's development and creativity are supported, every toy has a home, and your space is organized and serene.
We swear it's possible. Our playrooms are proof it can happen!
It's about seeing the world through your child's eyes and making everything accessible, categorizable, and, most importantly, easy to tidy up!
Creating a space where your child can explore, play, and learn purposefully starts with functional storage solutions.
emotional transformation
When a space goes under renovation, the results aren't limited to the physical transformation. The process can also be filled with emotional transformations, too.
This time last year, I was in the middle of renovating our showroom and office. It was the manifestation of so much hard work and hope. I was overcome with a profound sense of accomplishment as it all came together.
Our playroom projects are no different.
We feel the same sense of accomplishment when completing a playroom, knowing that the process is not just about the physical transformation✨️
this is your sign
Consider this your your sign to do something with that closet under the stairs (other than throw junk in it!).
Happy valentine’s day
All you need is love 💕
And the best team ever ✨️
Happy Valentine's Day from the girls of Greenwich Play!
positive play interactions
Did you know that you can influence the type of play you hope will transpire simply in the way you set up your child's space?
When your child can easily make sense of where things are, freely access what they need, and have space to engage with materials, you can eliminate frustrations before they have a chance to surface and make space for more positive play interactions.
super bowl sunday
Our Super Bowl Sunday goes down in the playroom, where the players are under four feet tall, and a touchdown is scored when toys are put back where they belong.
Team Tidy for the win! 🏈 🏈 🏈
to learn and grow at home
During consultations, I usually get asked in one way or another, “How did you get into designing playrooms?”
It's a fair question!
In 2017, I left teaching to start Greenwich Play, which originated as a consulting agency offering children and caregivers professional support and age-appropriate resources to develop healthy habits at home.
I spent a lot of time with students one-on-one and quickly learned that there were spaces of frustration within the home that ignited unwanted behaviors.
More often than not, the playroom was the number one offender. Sure, it would have lots of toys, books, and materials, yet somehow the space served no purpose.
• It would have no direction, no flow.
• The walls would be covered in an overstimulating and distracting wallpaper.
• The lights would be too bright.
• Nothing was labeled appropriately.
• The storage wasn't functional.
• There were no clearly defined zones.
Enter chaos, mess, and frustration.
I thought that if we could make these areas of the home function better for the child, it would eliminate many of the problems these families were encountering.
As an early childhood expert, I understand that when a room is designed with a specific child in mind, they aren’t consumed by overstimulation, inappropriate materials, or confusing organization. Instead, they connect to their unique learning patterns and interests through independent and stimulating play.
As grown-ups, it’s our job to guide our children to play independently and with intent. This begins with the environment with which we provide them to learn and grow at home.
Lights, camera, action
Lights✨️
Camera🎥
Action🎬️
It's all about the functional organization and easy access to materials in this sweet "backstage dressing room."
fail, succeed, learn
Children have ever-changing needs and unique perspectives, requiring spaces that are adaptable to their growth, interests, and abilities.
Your playroom is an opportunity to inspire your child to take risks, learn something new, fail, and succeed!
Clearly defining areas of a playroom helps children remain focused and understand what's expected of them, ultimately eliciting more positive play interactions.
sweet, simple, inviting
Sweet✨️ Simple✨️ Inviting✨️
These are some of the ingredients we use in our recipe for a purposeful play space!
purposeful play
A sprinkle of this, a shake of that, et voila!
✨️purposeful play✨️
Ha! If only it were so easy.
Purposeful play doesn't just organically transpire because we want it to. You can, however, create the conditions to set your child up to thrive in their play space at home.
Not sure where to start? That's what we're here for! Link in bio to learn about how we can work together.
pass-through spaces
Unused or neglected pass-through spaces in the home, like hallways or transitional areas that link different rooms, often turn into a dumping ground for various miscellaneous items.
But that won't be the case if we have any say in it! That's because we know how critical these pass-through spaces are to the overall flow of the home and how the family operates.
This family challenged us to create a purposeful playroom out of their pass-through space. Despite only having two walls, we were able to subtly define different functional areas using flooring, wallpaper, and strategic design.
The result is a functional and thoughtfully planned part of the home that is also adorable.
✨️swipe to see how it started ➡️
the vestibular system
When spinning your child around or watching them learn to pull themselves up, their vestibular system is hard at work.
The vestibular system is a key part of our inner ear and brain that helps control balance and eye movements. It’s like an internal compass that tells us how we're positioned in space - whether we're standing up straight, tilting, moving, or spinning.
By incorporating specific types of play equipment and activities into your play space, you can create an environment that stimulates and challenges this crucial sensory system in fun and safe ways.
For example...
• Add swings, rings, and other hanging equipment.
The swinging motion helps your child understand and regulate their body's responses to changes in direction and speed, improving balance and spatial awareness.
• Include balance beams or boards to encourage your child to maintain their balance as they walk across them. This not only supports vestibular development but also enhances concentration and coordination.
• Incorporate a climbing element like rock walls, ladders, or indoor gyms. This challenges your child’s balance and gives their vestibular system a workout as they adjust their movements to stay upright.
• Create an obstacle course with various elements like crawling under or over objects, jumping, and balancing, which can integrate multiple vestibular challenges, promoting adaptability and agility.
Creating a play space with these elements in mind allows your child to engage in play that's not only fun but also critical for their physical and sensory development.
We strive to design spaces that support the vestibular system in an organic, playful way, laying the foundation for improved motor skills, balance, and coordination!
the mom sanctuary
In the wild, majestic jungles of suburbia lies a rare and sacred place called "The Mom Sanctuary." This hallowed space, often as elusive as a quiet toddler, is a critical habitat for the survival of a species known simply as "Mama."
It's known that moms have ears rivaling the most sophisticated sonar systems.
They can detect a whispered request for snacks from three rooms away or the silent unfurling of a lollipop in the dead of night. The Mom Sanctuary provides space for moms to recalibrate their auditory sensors.
It is also essential for preserving a rare phenomenon called "Mom's Train of Thought."
In the outside world, this delicate train is frequently derailed by an endless barrage of questions, requests and the mysterious disappearance of library books. But, within The Sanctuary, the train chugs along uninterrupted, sometimes completing an entire journey from start to finish!
If you don't have room in your home for a dedicated Sanctuary, fear not! Moms can momentarily hang up their superhero capes and bask in the glory of nothingness right in the comfort of their shower. Let the water pour over your head, drowning out all the noise, and finish that thought!
sorting toys
Sorting toys by color seems like a straightforward and visually appealing solution to containing the chaos. After all, there are professional organizers who firmly believe in the "Rainbow Method" and have basically built empires around it!
But before you apply this approach to your playroom, consider the negative implications it could have.
Did you know that sorting is one of the first math skills that children learn? It lays the foundation for understanding more complex math concepts and helps build categorization skills and pattern recognition.
When the sorting criteria go beyond color, a child is encouraged to think more critically and make more complex classifications. Sorting also enhances observation skills, encouraging children to notice details about the materials they use.
In some contexts, sorting by color can inadvertently reinforce certain stereotypes or biases, limiting exposure to a broader range of experiences and interests.
The bottom line is that the Rainbow Method should not be applied to the playroom.
But, there is one, and only one, scenario where it makes sense to sort by color, and that is when it comes to loose LEGOs. We think it's the only solution!
arts + crafts play
It was recently brought to my attention that I rarely talk about the arts and crafts area of the play space. That is likely because it's my least favorite zone in the room. There, I said it.
It's messy, has so many different materials, and is riddled with open-ended activities. Did I mention it can be messy? The truth is that arts and crafts play a critical role in a child's development, offering more than just a fun activity.
Arts and crafts play an integral role in fostering creativity and self-expression, allowing children to explore and communicate their ideas and feelings in a tangible form. It also helps develop fine motor skills and enhances critical thinking.
But arts and crafts can be messy - even chaotic - and that type of play can be overwhelming for children (and their parents!). There are a few things you can do to help keep things under control:
• Label, label, label, and use one your child will understand.
• Make sure the floor is a wipable surface.
• Pick a location where the chaos can be contained, as close to running water as possible.
If you are tired of finding glitter on your cereal box, glue on your remote, and mysterious lines on your walls, consider creating a designated arts and crafts area in your play space with these simple tips in mind.
pretend play havens
Does your living room often transform into a bustling restaurant, a spaceship, or a secret ninja training camp with your couch cushions as obstacles?
Children learn to navigate the world around them by creating these imaginative scenarios. They develop critical skills like problem-solving and empathy and also have so much fun while doing it.
Pretend play allows children to express feelings and navigate emotions. It expands their vocabulary as they engage in imaginative dialogues, and enhances problem-solving skills.
But we get it. You want your living room to remain as intact as possible! To help keep the chaos contained, we recommend trying to find a designated area where your tiny actors and adventurers can let their imaginations run wild.
Whether it's a corner in the living room or a full playroom, make it their very own pretend play haven with costumes and props and all the things that will help take them to another world!
words from the founder
Nothing makes me cringe more than an Instagram post that starts: "A lot of new faces here, I should reintroduce myself!" (Apologies if you're reading this and have done just that. It's not you, it's me.)
Whether you are a new follower or have been on this journey with us for a while, you will never hear about my favorite condiment (I hate them all, to be honest) or my pet peeves (there are way too many to list). Despite being the founder of Greenwich Play, this page is not about me.
However, I'm told there is value in understanding why you should trust me.
And that I can appreciate.
So, for new and old faces, I present the top ten reasons you should trust me with your playroom, in no particular order.
• I have a master's degree in early childhood general and special education.
• I am a former classroom teacher.
• I am also a former special education itinerant teacher (SEIT), which means I traveled to various classrooms and homes to provide individual support to a child.
• I have two small children of my own (and a larger child known as my husband).
• I do not recommend products I wouldn't use in my home.
• I suffer from sensory processing disorder myself and can easily identify triggers in the space that may be leading to unwanted behaviors.
• I prioritize function over aesthetics but never compromise design.
• I make decisions based on what is most developmentally supportive for your child.
• I have an arsenal of resources in both education and design.
• I have designed and/or consulted on hundreds of commercial and residential projects.
Like the kitchen or a bedroom, the playroom serves a critical purpose in your home.
Designing a purposeful space for a child may seem simple. Still, it takes research, developmentally appropriate resources, and strategic design.
Most of all, it takes someone you can trust (👋🏻) to create the space your children will use to explore, challenge themselves, and play with intent.