Jacob is 9, lives in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and loves LEGOs, Pokémon and Lost in Space. After being at home for four months, he was bored and his mom was trying to get things done. Sound familiar? Jacob's family reached out  for a "playroom upcycle" to find new ways to play with what he already had so he could stay engaged, his mom could get things done, and everyone had fun!

Jacob's playroom upcycle included a 30 minute virtual consultation to see his play space, what toys and games he had, and how he did and didn't like to play. After our consultation, Jacob and his mom sent me pictures of things he does not usually play with, and I created a multi-page play menu with new ideas for how to play, create, and engage.

Jacob gave his playroom upcycle a “5 out of 5!” He loved becoming an architect, engineer, and scientist testing his hypotheses! He shared the sweetest thank you note: “Thank you for all of those ideas. Now I am playing so much more. You got 5 stars out of 5! I really enjoyed doing the marble maze. Thank you, Rebecca, I really appreciate it.”

Jacob’s mom, Kristin, also loved the playroom upcycle! She said “Rebecca, you have inspired my little one to reach for the ultimate heights of creativity! Thank you for the time and energy you invested in our playroom upcycle.  The playroom upcycle reintroduced my son to several toys he had forgotten even existed in his room. After out call, Jacob spent the day rediscovering hidden treasures.  Once your play ideas arrived, he reviewed them carefully, one by one, circled his favorites, and got to it!  He’s been busy ever since, and I’ve been catching my breath and catching up on work!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Are your children bored? Are you tired of being interrupted? If so, a playroom upcycle can help your family find new ways to play so children get creative and stay engaged, parents can catch their breath and catch up on work, and everyone has fun!

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Rebecca A. Weiner, M.Ed. is an educational consultant specializing in play-based learning, parent and teacher coaching, school consulting, and inclusion support. She loves to help families connect, partners and colleagues communicate, and teams of families, therapists, and schools collaborate to help children of all abilities achieve success.