As soon as my son Nick turned 9 years old, he informed me he was no longer a baby and that he was ready for a big boy’s room.

I know this was a big step for him as he really wanted a playroom that would reflect his age and interests. 

As I wanted this to be a “mommy-and-me project”, Nick and I brainstormed ways to transition his playroom from a toddler-centric vibe to a tween-friendly space. Here’s what we came up with.  

When selecting furniture for children, focus on pieces designed for their age.

The second-hand multi-purpose Lego table I bought for my son Nick when he was 2 has been the best investment I’ve made. It lasted 6 years and could probably go longer. 

Initially, we had a Brio wooden train set up, which eventually morphed into a Lego table. The drawer for storing small trains and Lego pieces is incredibly useful, and the large surface allows your child to build and display their Lego sets nicely. 

With this Lego table, your child will have an unlimited number of possibilities to create, build and explore their own little world!

Now that my son has moved on from the Lego phase, we decided to try something new and removed the Lego table to free up some space in the center of the room. This gave us a chance to explore other activities and add a new dynamic to the room.

Repurpose your existing furniture and add new pieces as needed. 

Updating your child’s room doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor; there are a lot of ways to repurpose the furniture that is already in the room.

If you need to add additional furniture, try to look for pieces that are multi-functional and can grow with your child.

☝️This versatile piece is the perfect example. It is a console table with 2 benches that can be pulled out and serve as additional seating or tables. It was originally used to store Lego and other games, but now we turned the entire piece into his game center. 

And because my son is exploring video games, bean bags are the perfect piece of furniture for him.

Read More:How to Manage Your Child’s Digital Life

As your child grows, it’s important to create zones in their room that allow them to engage in different activities.

Pro Tip: When organizing your board games, stack them sideways like you would do for books and file them in rainbow-like order. 

Take the time to designate areas for different activities like video games, crafts, reading and general lounging. 

Consider furniture that is appropriate for the age group like bean bag chairs, foldable breakfast tables that serve as a place to put drinks/snacks and other versatile pieces. 

Structure the room in a way that encourages independence, socialization, and organization. 

Bonus Tip: Carving out zones also helps to keep the room organized and clutter-free. 

As your child transitions to a tween, take the time to refresh their space to provide inspiration and a place that fosters creativity.

When possible, donate items they’ve outgrown or no longer use so someone else can enjoy them. 

My son is now older and taller and has outgrown many of his old toddler board books that were initially placed on a low Ikea bookshelf in his playroom.

I decided to donate the shelf and replaced it with a taller bookcase which could help maximize the vertical space on the wall.

Watch him organize his new bookshelf below!

Finally, keep your tween’s playroom organized and clutter-free by designating a space for everything. 

Invest in adequate storage containers and bins and label them accordingly. 

This will help your tween keep track of their belongings and make it easier to stay organized.

Read More: 5 Tips to Teach Organization to Children

Remember, you don’t have to gut and completely redecorate your child’s room to make it tween-approved. 

The changes to my son’s playroom were minimal but made a huge impact on the way he interacts with his space. 

By just rethinking his needs, his playroom has become a place for him to hang out with friends and explore his growing interests. 

His playroom is now a reflection of him, with personalized touches that will grow as he does. 

Transitioning from a kid to a tween playroom was an exciting and rewarding experience for both of us.  I’m glad I took the time to create a space that he loves!

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You can also contact me or subscribe to my newsletter here.

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