Estimate playroom size needed for toys and play equipment.
A playroom is sized by adding up what has to happen in it. Each child needs roughly 35 sq ft of their own space to play without colliding, each defined activity zone about 20 sq ft, each large item of equipment about 25, and each storage unit 6. On top of that, 30% circulation is not optional in a children's room — the running route around the furniture is the thing children actually use, and a playroom packed to its walls gets abandoned for the hallway. Two children with three zones and a play kitchen therefore want about 230 sq ft, or a 15 ft square. If your room is smaller, cut zones rather than circulation.
Playroom Size
Content area = children x 35 + zones x 20 + equipment x 25 + storage x 6; total = content x 1.3 for circulation; square side = sqrt(total)
Around 120 sq ft works for one child with a couple of zones; 200-250 sq ft suits two children with a craft table and large equipment. Below 100 sq ft, keep it to one zone plus storage.
Filling the floor. Storage along the walls and an open middle beats furniture in the centre — the clear floor is where building, sprawling and games actually happen.