While setting up a play space, a very insightful mom once told us, "Actually you know, the kids don't really want to play in a separate room, away from us. They want to play where we are."

With all the hype around separate play rooms and spaces for play, we found ourselves wondering about the importance of simply..

 Playing in the Living Room

The living room is the heart of the home. It’s where families hang out, watch TV, talk, laugh, make plans, go about their adult lives. Children want to be part of that action. Because children, inevitably, want to be like us. 

Not just that, they want to be where the parents are—close by, within reach, in the heart of family life. And that means any shared living space in the home is a potential space for play. 

Playing = Living 

For children, play is a way of life. It is how they make sense of the world and people around them. 

When kids play in the living room, they get to be part of the adults’ real life and participate in the flow of family life. They can ask parents for help, show off what they’re building, or even just be near them while doing their thing. Better yet, they can fearlessly create their own little world within, what is to them, a much bigger one.

This dynamic has a subtle yet profound impact on the nature of play. The simple act of being present—whether physically or emotionally—helps shape the way a child interacts with their environment… by just being nearby, in a way, their play becomes more fluid and integrated into the larger rhythm of the household, creating a sense of belonging and security.

The Home is their Oyster 

When kids don’t have the ‘appropriate toys’ at hand, they simply invent them in other things! 

In a living space that’s not specifically designed for play, they’re encouraged to use whatever is available to them. They might turn the lamp into a lighthouse, or use the family dog as a prop in an epic adventure. The everyday objects around them—books, blankets, shoes—become part of the play narrative.

Living rooms, in their ordinariness, offer a bigger canvas for children’s creativity to flourish. It is always fascinating to see what they come up with!

Present Parenting 

For parents, there’s a simple yet deep benefit to having children play in shared spaces: connection. When children play near you, it offers moments to check in, to listen to their ideas, to laugh at their jokes, or simply to watch them have fun. It’s a reminder that play isn’t just something for kids to do while adults are busy—it’s an opportunity for shared experiences.

It also makes it easier for parents to model behaviours that children will absorb. 

If you’re doing chores or making your morning coffee while they’re monkeying around, they’re still seeing you engage in activities that are part of daily life. This subtle learning—watching how adults approach everyday tasks—is just as important play itself.. It fosters a sense of participation, not just in the game, but in life itself.

Ultimately, the living room doesn’t need to be a high-design, toy-filled sanctuary to be a great space for children to play. It just needs to be a space where family life happens—and where kids can engage in their own versions of that life. 

Children’s imagination springs from ordinary things, actions, and people. All they need is the right environment. And when they are free to explore it, they begin to weave themselves in the narrative of the home, confident and secure. 

The best place for play is where you already are.