When you have little kids, carving out a playroom or dedicated play space in your home is our first suggestion for containing toys so it doesn't feel like your home is overrun by them. It could be a guest bedroom or a corner of your living room - any little spot with dedicated storage will do. Here are our top tips for creating a functional playroom.

Anchor the space with a cushy mat. Not only will a mat help protect your kiddo when they fall, it protects the floor, and makes for easier clean up of spills. In addition, kids will gravitate more to the area, and play more on the floor if the space is comfy. We're a big fan of Ruggish play mats because they are thick, reversible, one solid piece, and they look good too.

Add a kid-sized table and chairs. If you have the space, a play table and chairs is a great multi-purpose addition to a space and serves as the go-to destination for messy art projects. We love these tables (and the matching acrylic mat!) paired with the kids windsor chairs - which come in a bunch of fun colors.

Open storage, and closed storage too. It's helpful for kids to have some open storage in their space so that they can see their toys, and easily put them away too. This encourages exploration, and rotating the toys that are visible can make old toys feel new and fun again. We like to mix an open storage unit and lidded baskets, so that the space doesn't feel too cluttered or overwhelming.

A space for every toy. When every toy or category of toy has a space in the play area, it's easier for kids to clean up - and to find their stuff, too. This means sorting like items and storing them together. That way, your kids know the books always go in this basket, the vehicles in that bin, and the art supplies in that box.

A low surface space for playing. As much as kids like to sit or lay on the ground and play, a low surface that they can stand at for play is also important too. We like to use stackable bookcases that can be next to each other and at waist height when kids are little, and then stacked when they are older.

If you're feeling overrun with toys and not sure how to create a functional play area in your home, we'd love to help! California Daydreams Design is a full service interior design firm based in Marin County, California that helps busy families create the home of their dreams. View our Marin interior design services to learn more.