Do you have a play room for your 1/2 year old and if you do, do you leave them alone. I don't get it.

[bubblegum7474]

So it seems everyone has a nursery prior to baby being born and then eventually had a play/toy area. DD is 22months and I'm trying to sort out her play area. We currently have it all in the living/diner. We have a relatively large 2 bed house and she has her own room to sleep in but I keep all her toys downstairs as that's where we spend most our time and I can watch her play and keep an eye on her. Tbh she wouldn't even stay there alone.
I've been looking at some YouTube videos for inspiration and everyone has their play/read setup in the kids bedroom. I'm unsure about what to do here. It works for us as a family to have it all in the living//diner but is it ok? Decor wise I don't mind it being a play area.
I must mention there is a shelf in her room with books but that's really it. We have it all in the living room.
What do you have and I would be interested in hearing if you leave your child to play by themselves in a room at such a young age.

Select toys in the living room that are rotated regularly, apart from the bookcase of games and puzzles. Others in the conservatory (storage at this time of year!) And bedrooms.

Same as you OP.

At that age my tiny box room became the "playroom" but really it was a place that we could store toys so that the living room was manageably tidy. He didn't start to actually play in it by himself or with a friend until school age really.

Mine had all toys in living room till smallest was 4/5. Then I redecorated a lovely playroom which they might nip in and out of and treat as a glorified cupboard. If they are in it for any length of time I know they are up up to no good!

Toys, books etc in the living room, it does take up space but that’s where she plays, with us. I got a wooden small book shelf from IKEA and quite a few nice neutral wooden toy boxes and toy baskets, the rest is put somewhat nearly in the corner. Admittedly it will be nice when she’s older and all this crap is in her room 😂

In think all that stuff is usually just for show. It's how so many people sell on immaculate toys as they have been nursery props rather than toys.

I live in a small cottage and have 2.9 year old DD.

She has her own room but it is accessed by a ladder (which she has been able to climb since 10 months!!), but still sleeps on a mattress in our bedroom which is downstairs.

She has a small Ikea book rack in the living room which I rotate books between there and her bedroom (all Xmas/winter themed books currently). She has some storage cupboards in the living room for toys and one of the kitchen base cabinets is an arts & craft cupboard. The living room/kitchen is open plan.

She has been good at entertaining herself when I'm busy from before she was one (we are very lucky!!) but even so I don't think she would tolerate being left in her room or a playroom on her own not able to see our talk to me.

DD is now 20 but I have happy memories of me and DH becoming adept at negotiating the massive Brio layout that sometimes spent weeks on the living room floor, as it was too good to break up! We just accepted that we lived in a home, not a show house, when DD was little. We certainly tidied every evening but were happy to live in a home that was centred around our child at the time.