6 Tips to Create a Kid-Friendly Apartment in 2023

Never underestimate the amount of space and organizational skills you need to live with children! A kid-friendly apartment will help your family live a safer and more stress-free life.

And one of the best moving tips we can give is to get your new place in perfect shape before you move your stuff from one place to the next. Consider the following tips and you can have it all under control.

Safety

Children need their parents to choose wisely when deciding which apartment is right for them. An adult may love the small balcony off of a 26^th floor apartment but if the railing is climb-able, or if there is furniture that children can crawl up for a better view, this is not a kid-friendly apartment. Check to make sure stair railings are secure, that all windows have locks and all exterior doors have safety locks that children cannot maneuver.

Green Space

Ideally, a kid-friendly apartment has a fenced-in play area or yard where you can keep a playhouse or a soccer goal. A central playground in an apartment complex is a great way for kids to meet neighbors their own age. If an apartment has no outdoor features for children, look for a park that has playground equipment or paths for bike riding. Fresh air is important for a child’s health.

Inside a child-friendly apartment

Generally, if you give a kid some food and they wander from room to room eating it you will find a trail of crumbs that Hansel and Gretel would be jealous of. There is no crime in insisting that food be eaten at the table or counter. Often people without children wonder why you need so much space because aren’t kids smaller than adults?

Anyone who lives with kids knows they take up a ton more space per person than an adult. Strollers, high chairs, toy chests and every possible art supply take up lots of space and this list does not include sports equipment.

The key to having all the stuff kids need and not losing your mind due to the potential clutter is to contain as much as possible in stackable bins or baskets that can be stored in shelving units. A rolling cart with drawers is perfect for art supplies or Legos. The cart can be rolled to the table for play time and then rolled back to a corner when not in use.

Quiet time

Most adults will agree that naps are wasted on toddlers, but growing children require more sleep than adults. Providing a spot for your child to read or look at books, do puzzles or any quiet time activity will give the child a place to feel settled and help your child become independent. Eliminate distractions like screen time during quiet time.

Creativity

Gifts for children often arrive in a box that is more fascinating than the present itself. Allow your child a space to be creative and inventive. If a multi-box tunnel appears in your apartment, be patient, it does not have to stay in the middle of the living room forever. A few pieces of cardboard and some masking tape can be a spaceship, a boat at sea or a secret cavern. Imaginative play enhances your child’s spatial, cognitive, and critical thinking skills.

Cleaning Up

From an early age, a child can be taught that when an activity is finished everything gets put away. Make a game of putting blocks away. A small spray bottle of water and some microfiber towels placed where your child can reach is a fun way for them to learn how to clean up.

Bonus tips

Keep your child’s unbreakable bowls, dishes, and cups, in a lower kitchen cabinet. If they have not mastered closing a cabinet door without pinching fingers put a rubber bumper inside the door.

Keep toys and puzzles at a child’s height to foster independence. You may have pieces of puzzles in the wrong frames but a quick once over gets everything ready for the next day of play.

Children love to emulate the adults they love; let them help with chores while they still think it is fun and your apartment will be kid-friendly, and sort of tidy.