Most of our toys and play is in the basement but we come and go from the front door on the main level, eat snacks and lunch in the kitchen and have the diningroom as an upstairs playroom as the place toys are contained when on the main level. Since Brianne uses some of these toys evenings and weekends she still needs access to stuff too when I can't be in the basement and she isn't allowed to be up on the bedroom level unattended.

I like that the kids have a place to play while I get house/family things done such as a tub of laundry first thing in the morning some days or cooking supper at the end of the day waiting for last pick up.

Also for the babies that take naps they use family bedrooms. Often we are on main level till they start naps and then we go to the playroom while they are sleeping. It means less carrying on the stairs and more freedom to make noise for the bigger ones.

Same as Reggio though on the using the stairs. They are encouraged to crawl up the stairs as soon as they start care and most love the freedom to be on the stairs - a norally forbidden thing to them. Coming down I carry them or use the time for training. I turn them around and they learn to crawl backwards down the stairs - no sitting on the bum and sliding as there is too much chance of leaning forward and falling. I set them up side by side and manipulate their legs to show them what to do. Doesn't take long and they are doing it themselves.