Basment Play Area

Note: This is mostly for my family as this is a HUGE Christmas present for the boys. I wanted a place I could show all the photos we are using for inspiration and give people ideas on what they can add to the project. We want to have all the large stuff set up before Christmas so the boys can go downstairs and see it all put together on Christmas morning. I am going to wrap up some slippers for them to put on and take them downstairs (with someone video tapping their reaction). We have a small house and not a lot of room for the boys to play but they are at the age where imagination type play is big. My middle son loves to pretend to cook and will make anything into a kitchen. My oldest loves dress up and arts/crafts. My youngest likes to be a little mommy helper. I will update how this project is going over the next few weeks. Right now we are still planning and cleaning up the storage purpose the basement currently has.

The area under the stairs will be a play house. I would like the outside to look like this:

I will purchase the supplies but my brother, Shawn will be doing the construction Thanksgiving weekend.

Inside we will be putting in a kitchen (purchased already) but could use:

Table and chairs

Storage boxes for trains, potato heads, cars, little people, and various other toys (we have shelves already in the “room”)

Toys cleaning items (vacuum, broom, mop, duster, etc)

Doll bed, high chair, etc (Little boy loves his bear and baby dolls)

Watering can and other “garden tools” for outside

We will be putting carpet inside the home and green astro-turf outside. (Still need to get though)

Next we will have a store. Purchased already are the cash register, shopping cart and food. We have the flooring (linoleum leftovers). I am looking at this for the inspiration:

Needed:

I would need two bookcases (one 3-4 feet and one 2 feet) also a top of some sort. Even just a small banner would work.

Baskets would be nice to hold the food.

We would also like to have a school/art area.

  I have the flooring (a bright foam style mat) and most of storage “boxes” I will be using recycled items. We have lots of plastic jars and baby wipe containers we can label and would look cute. I mostly need the shelving unit and possibly chairs. We are also going to be putting this:

in the area. It is already being worked on for completion.

 We also have a lot of stuffed animals so this is being made as well:

I have a corner tv unit that I am going to turn into a dress up area like this:

I have been getting stuff 90% off around Halloween and also saving hats and other things I find at the dollar store. We have fireman and train engineer, not to mention super hero stuff. 

There will be a sectioned off part for me and all my crafts. It will be a half wall so I can see what the boys are doing and Riley will be painting a village scene on it. I also will have a small fence to put up around the water heater and furnace.