Ever thought about going green? Why not start with your kids' playroom. Find out how to design an eco-friendly space that children will enjoy.

Moms and dads who enjoy being environmentally conscious will have a blast creating a green playroom for kids. By following these simple suggestions, parents will have no trouble designing an eco-friendly space that children will love.

Choose Eco-Friendly Flooring for Playrooms

Bamboo, reclaimed wood flooring, and linoleum are all eco-friendly and great for playroom floors. Before deciding on what type of green flooring to use -- consider the duration of life, and how much maintenance will be required to keep the floor in tip-top condition.

Choose Environmentally Friendly Paints for Playroom Walls

With brands like BioShield, Anna Sova, Sherwin Williams, and AMF Safecoat -- it’s easier than ever to find natural and synthetic interior paints in a wide variety of colors that are water based, low in volatile organic compounds (VOC), and non-toxic.

Furnish Children’s Playroom with Recycled materials

Thrift stores and yard sales are all wonderful places for parents to get their hands on previously used furniture to furnish kids’ eco-friendly play areas.

Reuse Those Old Clothes

Children are constantly growing, so there is never a shortage of old clothes around. Instead of throwing them away, consider reusing them to make various sized pillows. There can never be too many pillows in a playroom. They make great decorative accents, or comfy spots to read and rest.

If parents are handy with a needle and thread, making doll clothes out of things that children can no longer wear should be a snap.

Purchase Used Toys

Parents are often surprised by some of the toys that can be found at rummage sales and thrift stores. Before purchasing used toys, they should always be inspected for loose, or broken parts -- and they should be thoroughly cleaned before allowing kids to play with them.

Choose Eco-friendly Lighting for Kids' Playroom

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are designed to save energy, produce less heat, and last longer than regular light bulbs. Since children will be spending a lot of their time in their playroom, it’s the perfect place to install eco-friendly lighting.

It also helps to allow as much natural light to flow through your children's playroom as possible.

Select Used Children’s Books

Instead of purchasing all of your children’s books new, take the time to visit library book sales, garage sales, and thrift stores to find books for your kids to enjoy.

Use Recycled Craft Materials

Empty plastic containers, buttons, egg cartons, newspaper, shoe boxes, toilet paper tubes, scrap paper, and pieces of cloth can all be added to the arts and crafts area of kids' eco-friendly playroom.

Going green in your children's play space can have a huge impact on the environment -- and it will certainly give Mother Nature something to smile about.

References:

Top 5 Eco-Friendly Flooring Options. Accessed: 4-19-08

Energy Star. Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs. Accessed: 4-19-08