Make Play Areas Greener and Safer

By Ann Bertelsen and Peter O. Whiteley
March 02, 2016
Thomas J. Story
Here's helpful ideas on how to green up your kid's play area.
Start Slideshow

1 of 8

Laundry meets playroom

Thomas J. Story
From Sunset

From the playroom to the bedroom (and even the backyard), there are easy ways to make your home kid-friendly and environmentally safe.

This joint laundry/playroom is a great combined space for parents and kids. Bright blues and greens enliven the room. The pale green nontoxic laminate veneer is by Abet Laminati.
Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 8

It's all in the details

Thomas J. Story
Cabinets conceal a water- and energy-frugal front-loading washer and dryer from GE. The floor is engineered bamboo. Cobalt blue recycled-glass knobs match the lava-stone tile counter.

3 of 8

Children's bedroom

Thomas J. Story
For recyclable wall decor in the older child’s room, we used Wallcandy Arts “Dottlicious” stickers of various sizes from giggle.com.
Advertisement

4 of 8

A healthy touch

Thomas J. Story
Add personality with personalized wainscot. The blue and green stripes are painted with low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint.

5 of 8

Green thumb (and more)

Thomas J. Story
A small outdoor space means every inch must count, so we made sure there was a variety of activity zones, including raised planting beds, a sandbox, and a compact flagstone patio.

Circular stepping "stones" and a semicircular mini deck made of rot-resistant Trex, a composite wood, punch up the design of a small outdoor space.

6 of 8

Reused rubber

Thomas J. Story
The play yard walking surface is a mulch made of shredded brown-toned recycled tires by Grubble Products.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 8

Backyard features

Thomas J. Story
Tumbled dark and light blue recycled glass from Building Resources makes a colorful mulch.
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Advertisement
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.health.com