Over Spring Break last week we drove up to Denver to visit the Children's Museum with some of our friends. We got there about thirty minutes after they opened and I had the intention of heading home a little after lunchtime but we were all enjoying it so much that we closed the place down. There was a Kinetics room where kids could play with compressed air and plastic balls, a bubble room, an animal clinic where you could play the vet (Ruby's favorite), an organic grocery store, a painting station, a paper airplane and rocket section, and a building room.
It was full of miniature tools and plenty of repurposed recycleables for building their own creations or following laminated picture tutorials. Ruby and I built a butterfly from a tongue depressor and pipe cleaners, Tim helped Sebastian make a caterpillar from brads and an egg carton, and I saw a few cars made out of toilet paper tubes with plastic lids for wheels. I would've never thought my kids would be ready to use a hand saw but apparently once they got started they were quite capable (under supervision of course).
I told my friend, Mindy, half-jokingly that I needed to clean out our garage so I could build a similar work station for the kids. Then I decided I really would.
It's still a work in progress but I think most of the hard work has been done. I spent six hours last Friday clearing out and reorganizing the garage and then a few more hours on Saturday purchasing supplies from the hardware store and figuring out how to set up their workspace as well as mine.
I took down some pre-existing pegboard that needed to be rearranged and repainted and it white. I had some MDF cut at Lowe's to fit snugly in the back of our Volvo and it fit nicely under the existing board on the kids' side. I painted it with a coat of chalkboard paint but ran out of time to get a second coat on before finishing for the day. I did manage to get it screwed into the existing drywall. It's tall enough for both kids to enjoy drawing on it. I may even borrow it from time-to-time.
I'd searched for a little table to utilize but ended up repurposing the mud table I built for the kids last fall. It's the perfect height and has some space for storage below. We'd had a chalkboard tablet from the last house that I hadn't been able to find a place for so I will give it another coat of chalkboard paint and screw it to the mud table. The white pegboard will go above it but needs to be framed out first. The tiered wire baskets were a thrifted find I was thinking to use in our kitchen but decided it'd be perfect for holding recycled items for the kids to reuse.
I'll probably add a few baskets and a shelf and some hooks for hanging their own tools-everything sized appropriately as I find it. I'm hoping to not spend much money on this space but I think it'll be quite valuable to them as a place to explore and create where they have don't have to pretend their toys are real. I promise to be back with a full reveal for both sides when they're set up.
I love making the most out of the space available to us in our home. Although my DIY clothing rack is now holding most of Brett's Army gear you can see how I envisioned using one side of our basement as my own personal closet. I turned a large wardrobe into a closet office here and have yet to officially post how we've set up the front porch as a little retreat from the rest of the house.
Do you have any big house projects you're in the middle of right now or that you can't wait to start?
-Rachel
You are such an amazing mom and an incredible inspiration for DIYers. Can't wait to see it when you're finished!
xx Allison
http://www.thrifted.ca
Posted by: A Twitter User | 04/02/2013 at 10:17 PM
oh wow sounds like a great project!
Posted by: anoushka | 04/03/2013 at 12:38 AM
i love this! i can remember setting up my own sewing space in our basement when i was a kid. even though the basement was full of old furniture and hardly had any space i moved, shoved, and piled until i had a tiny bit of floor space, used some cushions from an old sofa, drawers from a dresser worked as storage and a working surface, and i used an old sheet to make a tent top... thinking back it was kind of the perfect little "workshop", and i loved creating stuff there.
i cannot wait to see what you do with this - such a good idea!
Posted by: leah. | 04/03/2013 at 04:29 AM
Its nice to have a place to be creative place for the kids to go. Looks like your on the right path to something cool.
Vintagehoneybee.blogspot.com
Posted by: Rachel | 04/03/2013 at 05:02 AM
I work for a different museum in Denver and I cannot tell you how much I love this post! The biggest compliment I can get at work is when a parent says their kids made something in one of our workshops and then went home and kept working on it, transformed it into their own thing or started a new project inspired by the first. Can't wait to see how it turns out.
Posted by: Jillian | 04/03/2013 at 05:29 AM
So amazing, Rachel!! I'm determined to tackle the twin's bedroom this summer. Just yesterday I splashed some sample paint on the wall, but man is it hard to think about decorating for boy/girl! Hoping to use some of your ideas for Ruby & Sebastian's room!
Posted by: Denise von Minden | 04/03/2013 at 05:34 AM
This is such a great project! I can't wait to see what the kids think. Its a great way to clear out your garage too :)
Grace
http://gracep-photos.blogspot.com
Posted by: Grace | 04/03/2013 at 06:06 AM
Such awesomeness! Great DIY and amazing space for the kids and you to be creative. Makes me want to come over and play"
Posted by: Lesley | 04/03/2013 at 07:43 AM
This looks like an absolutely perfect project! can't wait to see when it's finished!
<3becky
www.loosefromthezoo.com
Posted by: Becky Loose From The Zoo | 04/03/2013 at 09:07 AM
This is solo wonderful. I just bought my six year old his first tool set and I would love to set up a workshop space for him and an art studio space for my eight year old. To really harness creativity it seems like you need to make it easy and accessible for them.
Posted by: Rachel | 04/03/2013 at 10:02 AM
Looks so great so far, and it's totally inspiring me to make something like this for the kiddos this summer. Can't wait to see the finished product!
Posted by: ruthie | 04/03/2013 at 11:54 AM
What a great space for your kids! I have two littles that would LOVE a space like this to play and create in. We are renting, so I can't do much, but I have plans to spruce up our little kitchen with a homemade tablecloth, a window curtain, a covering for a shelf that holds all our odds & ends, & a new frame to hang on the wall. I can't wait to get started!
Posted by: Anna B. of annieandm | 04/03/2013 at 05:36 PM
You never cease to amaze and inspire me! Love this - can't wait to see the new workspace!
Posted by: Rebecca | 04/04/2013 at 02:02 PM
you are seriously one creative mama! i love what you've done so far and i love your blog! I'd do something similar but our garage is a bit too damp and full of spiders for my daughter to want to play in it.
http://designthrift.blogspot.com
Posted by: jonelle | 04/05/2013 at 09:37 AM