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You see these awesome play areas and snack cupboards at the homes of grandparents all over the internet and you want to be able to justify having a space set up like that! But your grandkids live a couple hundred miles away (like we do) and having a designated area of your home set up for kids who use it a few times a year doesn’t really make sense. Or does it? Can you still create a space your grown kids and grandkids love to be in when they come to visit? Even if its only a few times a year?
Today I (Amanda – the other half of the Over the River team) get to share what my parents did to create a space our family loves to use.
In this post I’ll share 5 steps to creating a space your entire family will love when they visit.
So here we go! Creating a space your kids and grandkids LOVE to visit.
1. Determine the space you want to use.
What space do you have in your house that you can designate to your kids and grandkids when they visit?
For my parents it was a section of their recroom. Although they have a fairly large home, a guest bedroom wasn’t an option. They also wanted to be able to use whatever guest space they created during the times when we (or other family) weren’t in town.
2. Decide how to best utilize the space for your kids/grandkids when they visit.
Think about if there’s anything you can do to utilize the space for yourself the rest of the time.
Within this section (corner) of the recroom there were a few workout items and a pull up bar. Those things were relocated to a different part of the room and two blank walls (one with a window) were left to work with. They decided that for this space, a Murphy bed and some sort of workspace combined would be the best option.
That way it was almost as if it didn’t take up any room when it was folded up. My parents would also be able to utilize the workspace on a regular basis. My mom (Amma) started researching and eventually came across this Modern Farmhouse Murphy bed from Addicted 2 DIY. I’m not sure how long it took to convince my dad, but before I knew it, the guest space was coming to life.
3. Purchase or re-purpose needed items.
First, I know my dad made quite the shopping trip to Home Depot specifically for this bed (the needed items are listed in the above link). Secondly, an important piece of creating a space for your kids and grandkids is empty space. If at all possible, something you should consider when purchasing or re-purposing is a piece of furniture that allows your kids to unpack.
As you know, we come with a lot of baggage haha, and having some drawers, part of a closet or a shelf, is SO helpful! It allows us to feel right at home and be fully relaxed instead of living out of a suitcase. As you can see, the Murphy bed my parents decided to build included some drawers and shelving. We completely unpack when we visit and put the suitcases away. Personally, I feel like I’m settling in on vacation!
4. Make it easy, make it homey!
I’ll have to say building this bed was not “easy” and took quite a few weekends and weeknights to complete in their spare time. We so appreciate their intentionality of creating a space that makes it easy for us to visit. It’s a great idea to think of the little things you can do to make the space homey and inviting.
Instead of spending extra money, my mom repurposed some decor she had in other areas of the house to lightly decorate the guest space. It made it feel very welcoming, and she kept it really simple so that we had plenty of room for our own things as well. Seriously, didn’t it turn out amazing?!
In addition to the Murphy bed and desk, they keep a pac n play, a child size sleeping bag and pillow for naptime and nightime. They also have some traditional toys that get stored in a closet, and some of the essentials such as a few diapers, baby wipes, etc. These are all things that keep for a long time so we use them over the course of all our trips, and it allows us to pack a little lighter.
5. Ask your kids what they need.
Whenever we have a trip planned, my parents ask us what food we might need from the store, what my kids favorite snacks are right now (or if they’ve changed in the last 24 hours). Do we need formula for the baby? A package of diapers? Sometimes we are running low on these things anyway, so rather than adding a trip to the store before leaving town, we arrive at my parents house and it’s all there waiting for us. Talk about service!
Which by the way acts of service is my love language, and I think my mom knows me well. No matter how large or small your guest space is, the thoughtfulness of preparing that place ‘just for them’ will speak volumes! Think about what your kids appreciate most and take those things into consideration as you’re creating a space they will always want to return to!
In summary, I think it’s important to state that we would enjoy visiting my family regardless of whether this awesome space existed or not. Spending time with family is very important to us, and not being able to unpack our bags when we get there wouldn’t stop us. But boy it sure is nice to know a space is waiting for us anytime we want.
What are some things you’ve done to create a space your kids or grandkids love to visit?
Looking for more tips for when the kids and grandkids come to visit? We recommend checking out Comm 100: Ground Rules for Grandparenting as well as The Ultimate Guide to Countdowns. There’s SO MANY cute printable countdowns to choose from as you wait for the next visit to finally arrive!
