Setting Up a Baby Play Space at Grandma's House

Grandma and Grandpa’s house is one of your baby’s favorite places. It is also a home set up for adults: glass on the coffee table, pills by the kettle, a recliner, a beloved rug and decades of things at exactly baby height.

You don’t need to babyproof their whole house to make visits easier. A small, well-placed play space and a short list of checks can go a long way. This guide is for parents and grandparents planning it together, whether you visit once a month or Grandma watches the baby every week.

Floor play at any house is for a baby who is awake, with an adult watching the whole time.

Start with a friendly conversation

Grandparents raised children safely, and some of today’s advice can feel like a judgment on how they did it. Poison Control (the National Capital Poison Center) puts it kindly: grandparents can be bewildered by today’s safety recommendations, and a lot has changed since they had little ones. Its suggestion is for parents to take the same childproofing steps in grandparents’ homes that they take in their own, and it notes that your pediatrician can answer questions grandparents have about their grandchildren’s health and safety.

A few ways to keep it easy:

  • Offer to do the setup together on a visit, and bring the supplies.
  • Focus on one small area of the house, not a full makeover.
  • Explain what’s changed and why, rather than what they did “wrong.”
  • Agree on what stays out permanently and what gets put away only during visits.

Pick the spot

Choose the room where everyone already spends time, usually the living room or family room. Then look for:

  • Open floor in view of a favorite chair. Grandparents may prefer to sit nearby rather than on the floor the whole time, so put the play space where they can see and reach it from a comfortable seat.
  • Away from the stairs, the kitchen and the front door. Doorways and walkways see the most traffic.
  • Away from glass, heavy decor and anything that can tip. Bookcases, curio cabinets and plant stands are best kept out of reach.
  • A floor you can check easily. A clear patch of hard floor or low carpet is easier to sweep for small objects than a deep shag rug.

For more on placement, see where the baby play area should go.

The quick safety check for a grandparent’s home

Do this together at baby height before the first visit, then do a shorter version each time you arrive.

Medicines first

This is the big one. Poison Control says grandparents’ medicines are among the most dangerous causes of childhood poisoning, and that some medicines can be dangerous for a child who swallows only one tablet. The AAP’s HealthyChildren.org medication safety page recommends:

  • Storing prescription and over-the-counter medicines and supplements in their original packages, in locked cabinets or containers, out of reach and sight.
  • Remembering that safety caps are child-resistant, not childproof.
  • Putting medicines back right after using them.
  • Keeping purses, bags and jackets that have medicines in them out of children’s reach. The AAP specifically asks parents to remind grandparents and other visitors about this.

Pill organizers on the counter, a handbag on the sofa and a coat pocket by the door are the usual suspects. The AAP’s tips for grandparents suggest keeping medications put away even after the grandchildren leave, so the house stays safe for an unexpected visit. Save the Poison Help line, 1-800-222-1222, in everyone’s phone.

Furniture and the TV

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Anchor It! campaign recommends anchoring all furniture with drawers, doors and shelves to the wall. If anchoring isn’t possible right away, keep the play space well clear of tall furniture and the TV.

Floors, cords and blinds

  • Sweep the floor and under the furniture for coins, buttons, hearing-aid batteries, pins and pet food.
  • Move cords out of reach and out of sight. Oklahoma’s Grandparent’s Guide recommends moving cords and strings out of reach, including those on window blinds. Poison Control also lists older window-blind cords among the things that have changed since grandparents raised their children.
  • Oklahoma’s guide also suggests removing loose rugs, securing TVs and heavy furniture to the wall and not keeping tempting objects on high shelves a child might climb to reach.

Old baby gear

That walker in the garage? The AAP says baby walkers are never safe and asks parents to make sure there are no walkers wherever their child is being cared for, including someone else’s home. Poison Control adds that an heirloom crib may not meet today’s standards. Talk to your pediatrician about where your baby should nap at Grandma’s; a play mat is not a sleep surface.

If your baby is crawling or cruising, our living room babyproofing checklist covers the room in more detail, and our guide to gates, playpens and play zones helps if the stairs are a worry.

Set up the play space

Once the area is clear, keep the setup simple:

  • A defined base. A play mat marks “this is the baby’s spot” and gives floor time a comfortable surface on a hard floor.
  • A small basket of toys. A handful of age-appropriate toys is plenty. Rotate them between visits so there is always something “new at Grandma’s.”
  • A low, sturdy handhold for a baby who is pulling up, such as the sofa or a heavy ottoman, and nothing that rolls or tips.
  • A comfortable seat for the grown-up right at the edge of the play space.
  • A spot for the diaper bag up high, not on the floor.

Should the mat stay or travel?

Both can work. It mostly depends on how often you visit and how much you want to carry.

  • Keep one at Grandma’s. For regular visits or weekly childcare, a mat that lives at the grandparents’ house saves packing every time. Choose a size and color that suits their room so it can stay down between visits.
  • Roll it up and bring it. Once the GRHomera Playmat has fully expanded, it can be rolled up for storage or to take out of the house, so bringing the mat from home is a real option if you visit now and then. It is a one-piece foam mat, so it is heavier and bulkier to carry than a blanket, and a smaller size is easier to move.
  • Travel light instead. If you would rather not carry a mat at all, a blanket or a lighter, foldable mat may be more practical. Our honest look at whether a memory foam play mat is worth it covers who a thick one-piece mat suits and who should look elsewhere.

Whether the mat stays at Grandma’s or travels with you, the GRHomera Playmat is a one-piece mat with a coral fleece surface and a non-slip backing, 1.3 in (3.3 cm) thick in total, which makes it comfortable for grandparents kneeling beside the baby, too. It comes in Beige or Dark Grey and in 50 × 50 in (127 × 127 cm), 79 × 59 in (about 201 × 150 cm) and 118 × 79 in (about 300 × 201 cm). The compact 50 × 50 in size often suits a corner of a living room that wasn’t planned around a baby. A few practical notes for a grandparent’s house:

  • It ships compressed and needs 3 to 5 days to fully expand after unpacking, so have it delivered ahead of the first visit and lay it flat in its spot. Don’t roll or fold it during those first days; wait until it has fully expanded before rolling it up to store or carry.
  • The care label allows spot cleaning and wiping with a damp cloth. It is not machine washable, so show whoever is hosting how to deal with a spill.
  • Use the play mat size guide to check it fits their clear floor before ordering.

Our Beige vs Dark Grey guide can help you pick a color that suits their room.

A visit-day routine

  1. On arrival, a two-minute floor sweep of the play space at baby height.
  2. Bags, coats and purses up high, including yours.
  3. Medicines checked: none out on counters, tables or nightstands.
  4. Toy basket out; anything small or breakable away.
  5. One adult “on duty” at a time, so everyone knows who is watching.
  6. At the end, toys back in the basket and the mat left clear.

FAQ

How do I set up a baby play area at my parents’ house?

Pick open floor in the main living area, in view of a comfortable seat. Clear it of small objects, cords and anything that can tip, put medicines away, then add a play mat and a small basket of toys.

How do I ask grandparents to babyproof without offending them?

Keep it collaborative: offer to do it together, focus on one area and explain what has changed. Poison Control notes that grandparents can be bewildered by today’s advice, and your pediatrician can answer their questions.

What’s the most important thing to check at a grandparent’s house?

Medicines. Poison Control says grandparents’ medicines are among the most dangerous causes of childhood poisoning. Keep them locked up, out of sight and reach, and keep bags with medicines away from children.

Can a play mat be used for naps at Grandma’s?

No. A play mat is for awake, supervised floor play. Ask your pediatrician where your baby should sleep when you are away from home.

Sources

— The GRHomera team