A rearranged play and learning area

This afternoon I reorganized the play room and school room.  I took photos just now (they're not great because of lack of lighting) and thought I would share.  J-jo's corner now looks like this

so that all his books can be in one area with the library books.  This kid just loves to disappear and he can usually be found with his books.  I had this reading corner where the giraffe (a present from grandma) is now and I had what is now the block table as his language/alphabet shelf.

The chairs were ordered to review (in other words, free to me) from csnstores.com and we love them.  J-jo can safely climb in and out of them without tipping them over, which is what was happening with the lightweight narrow chairs we had. I got the 10 inch ones so that they would still work for Bear, even though it means a tiny bit more of a climb for J-jo.  We'll get longer use out of them this way.  I am extremely happy with these chairs.

Here's the other corner of the room where we keep art supplies (except the bottled tempera and liquid watercolors - those are in the pantry and Bear can still access when she pleases).

 Well, the car ramp isn't art related, but I like to scatter J-jo's toys so he can find something to do as he wanders.  Top of table holds paper (plain computer and thicker drawing paper). The heavy water color paper is underneath the paper tray.  We have colored pencils, crayons, and markers.  The plastic box to the left of the table holds construction paper (I have a ton from Costco from YEARS ago).

Top shelf: stamps (I change these out each month), Mommy markers and pens, pencil sharpener, paper punch, oil and chalk pastels, watercolor disks, brushes and sponges and watercolor pencils.  Basically all items I want to keep away from J-jo.

Middle Shelf: dot markers, scissors, glue and tape, artist cards and features artist books.

Bottom shelf: play dough, stickers, her science journal and a school supply catalog (for her to cut), various activity books.

As you can see, there are labels everywhere.  Bear likes to add her on.  The one under the catalog says "cadlog". 

This is the kitchen/house area next to the block table.  It looks messy.  I am forever attempting to tidy it and no matter what I do, it always looks like this. I wish we had a wooden kitchen.  If I could do it all over, I'd invest in one just for looks.  Bear used to love kitchen play, but seems to have passed on to other things (namely card making and writing) for the present.

If you turn left in the photo above, you will see the photo below. The table in the foreground used to be in the middle of the room.  It houses knobbed puzzles and the farm.  J-jo's corner is to the left, hidden.

His "letter sound of the week" and color stuff moved to the school room's language shelves.  I'm still waiting on my egg picture books to come in at the library so Elmer is standing in.