Child's bedroom- for play or just sleep?

[FTMNoIdea]

DH wants to do over our nursery room with lots of bright colours, playmat, toys etc. DD is only 4 months and not even sleeping in there yet, DH uses the room to work from home and I use it for bedtime and early morning feeds. I am clueless as far as parenting goes, but know adults sleep best if bedroom is just for sleep, so I would think to keep the fun play stuff downstairs for daytime, not in DDs bedroom to distract her from sleep. But DH thinks if DD gets to know the room as a fun play zone she will settle better when she moves in there. I would be interested to know what experienced parents think?

We didn’t really use bedroom for play until age 2ish.

Currently have one 3yr old and one 1yr old. While 1 yells naps 3 yr old plays in his room and he sometimes asks to go up there to play but 1 year olds room is just for sleeping. I think if she associated it was play too I’d have a harder time settling her

We have a selection of toys in the living room for playing with … I figure it doesn’t last forever so having to put up with toys for a few years isn’t the end of the world

It changes as they get older. My nearly 4yo will happily have a play in his room while we're upstairs but I never really sat and played up there while he was a baby or young toddler, I never sit and play with my 8mo in his room, we always hang out downstairs (where the coffee and TV is).

Both of their rooms are pretty neutral in decor but that's generally our taste overall.

Depends on the size of the room, but once they get a bit older (3 and above?) using the bedroom for play, and certainly for storing toys seems like a good idea, it also start teaching them at an early stage about tidying up.
Before then, I think using the living room, or whatever, for play makes sense, not least as you can keep and eye on them.

mine used it for play from age 6+ and more as they get older. when they have a playdate at age 7 or 8, they want to disappear upstairs where the grownups can't see.

but the baby will want to be near you for the next 2 or 3 years, so no need to decorate now. put the toys in whatever room you want to be in.

We have an ikea kallax with a few toys in and some low book shelves he can help himself to but most of the toys are downstairs (been in that room since 7 months). To be honest we tend to bring the toys in to our room to play in the morning or he just pootles about in their whilst I'm putting laundry etc away. I do like having some toys in there that he can help himself to though

We only really use my toddler's bedroom at bedtime after bath to read books before bed. So there are no toys up there (all downstairs as that is where we spend our time during the day) just books. It's just to read and sleep.

Strictly sleep only here. We keep it dark, cozy and boring in there to encourage sleep.

However we’re lucky enough to have a spare room to use as a playroom. Might well be different if we had to store toys in his bedroom. He does have a lot of books in his bedroom though and often takes himself off in there to read.

Toys are less of an issue until the child is old enough to move from a cot to a bed and can therefore get out to play in the night.

It’s a bit of both here.

Bedroom - calm and neutral. Has most his books in ( read at nap and bedtimes), and some ‘quiet’ toys and teddies he plays with whilst I’m putting away his clothes or chasing bedding.

Downstairs most other toys.

We do sometimes go to the bedroom to read and play on wet dreary days to just change the scenery or different room

It depends on your house and what space is available.

When ours were little they shared a bedroom for sleeping and clothes (plus books). Then had another bedroom as a playroom.

Now they are older they have separate rooms so more of their belongings are in there.

They played downstairs or wherever a parent was. I was never bothered about having an adult space though and happily had toys wherever they were used.

We have a small bedroom for both younger girls thats very cosy, neutral, just got books and a few teddies, bed and cot. They then have a large playroom with the majority of their toys in it, and a few big bits downstairs like the train table, pikler triangle etc that don't cause too much mess but keep them entertained. Then we have a big summer house which is like an outdoor playroom in the summer and more of a den for DD12 and her friends in the evenings and winter. DH thought it was going to be his man cave but that didn't quite work out for him!

DH is right I'd say.

You don't want a living room cluttered with all of your DC crap toys. You need somewhere it can go at the end of the day out of sight.

My baby started settling better in his cot when I started playing with him in there. Before, he just associated it with bedtime, which he found stressful and didn’t enjoy. He now settles much better in his room because it’s a space he’s familiar with and has fun in.

We use it as a playing room, never caused issues with sleep. In fact if DS "isn't tired" he will happily play in his cot with a toy and then generally fall asleep.

'baby started settling better in his cot when I started playing with him in there. Before, he just associated it with bedtime, which he found stressful and didn’t enjoy. He now settles much better in his room because it’s a space he’s familiar with and has fun in.'

I agree with this ^ it works for my dc that their bedrooms be relaxed, fun and places they love to be. They both love their beds and their bedtime routines and have no issues going to sleep and know toys are for daytime.

We always had some toys upstairs but the majority downstairs when the dc were little. We would spend the majority of time downstairs, but there were always times when they needed to be entertained upstairs (after their bath but before bed, while I got dressed or had a shower, while I was putting clothes away etc), so made sense to have some stuff in their room.

We never had any issues getting them to settle in their rooms and it’s handy if you end up with an early riser that they can play quietly for a bit in their room before waking the whole house up.

Thanks everyone it's really helpful hearing all your perspectives. It sounds like it can work either way. We don't mind toys downstairs, instead or as well as upstairs. How lovely for those of you who have playrooms, our house is not that big
unfortunately!