Parents are looking for a place to keep their kids moving, learning and off their phones. And a new type of design firm is ready to build it for them.

The big picture: Fueled by viral Instagram tours, bespoke playrooms have become the latest luxury home upgrade — with builds costing six figures or more.

State of play: Pinterest searches for "screen-free activities" are up 200% year-over-year, per the platform's 2026 Parenting Trend Report. "No phone summer" is up 340%.

• "DIY kids playground" is up 630%.
• "Basement jungle gym for kids" is up 345%.
• And "sensory play ideas" are up 1,070%.

A new niche has emerged: Interior design firms led by people with education backgrounds who treat kids' rooms as learning environments.

Zoom in: Anne Gillyard — co-founder of one of these firms, D.C.-based Groh Playrooms — spent a decade teaching and training other educators before launching her kids' design company in 2018.

• Her team now designs about 150 custom playrooms a year, she says. Think: colorful rock walls, big foam pits, vibrant murals, hanging swings and themed playhouses with art tables and toy bins.
• Groh's custom playrooms can cost anywhere from $100,000 to a million dollars for an "amusement park"- level build, Gillyard tells Axios.

What they're saying: "The biggest misconception that people have… is that play is extra," Gillyard says. But skills that make for "better readers, better thinkers, better mathematicians, better problem solvers," she says, "all come directly out of play."

Yes, but: Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology and neuroscience who studies play, is skeptical of the whole "designer home playroom" category.

• In his view, unrestricted outdoor spaces known as adventure playgrounds — where kids can climb trees and build their own towers out of nature or junk — "are far more creative than if you've got all those structures already there, made by somebody else."

The bottom line: Thoughtful play doesn't require a major investment — even when the kids have to stay home.

• Gillyard's low-lift tip: Install a ceiling swing hookup. For $15–$20 in hardware, it can hold a swing, trapeze, yoga silk or punching bag.

Formerly a storage closet, this 15' x 20' room with 18-foot ceilings now has spots for reading, building and climbing.

• Climbing panels, a spiral pole, a climbing rope and a foam pit all fit in the room.

Zoom in: The space was designed by Groh Playrooms for a family that moved from New York City to Virginia.

• Wall murals feature both the NYC skyline and a Virginia tree canopy as a way to honor both homes.

Look up and you'll see a fort with a loft net overhead.

• Look lower to find designated spots for reading and tinkering.

Play isn't just for playrooms.

• Especially when everything feels heavy, adding fun or lightness to your home can be essential.

One way to infuse a playful vibe into your space: Make (or buy) handmade decor.

• "Embrace the imperfections," says designer Tina Frey, who often leaves small depressions from her fingers in clay, in home goods she's sculpted.
• She believes that when you "put your heart and soul into an object, it translates into the energy of that piece" that people can feel.

Case in point: Frey has a collection of bowls and serving pieces called Fleur that have scalloped edges, inspired by flowers and her childhood.

• "I remember [my sister and me] telling my parents we want to be flowers, and then they made these giant flower petal things that we could wear around our necks," she tells Axios.

Here are four more ways to bring more playfulness into your home:

1. Add a pop of color, like a vibrant rug or throw pillows, House Beautiful suggests.
2. Get statement wallpaper to use in a small space, like a door edge, as content creator Cait has.
3. Put craft eyeballs on inanimate objects, as digital creator Carter Sullivan advises.
4. Be open to an unexpected use for an everyday object. For example: Hang clothes on a stick or put a bench on a bookshelf, the way DIY blogger Medina Grillo has.

Toy prices may be climbing, but your playroom budget doesn't have to, thanks to some creative locals.

Why it matters: Swaps and rentals are helping families save money and giving parents a way to clear out unused toys.

State of play: The Toy Nest, a "toy library" and indoor play space in Falls Church, has seen growing interest after first landing in the D.C. area in 2020.

• What started as a "pop-up idea" offering monthly memberships to borrow "pre-loved" toys has since grown to a business with a 10-person staff, owner Lisa Bourven tells Axios.

How it works: Monthly memberships run $30-$45.

• Toys are rented on a point system — and you can borrow playroom furniture and seasonal items like water tables or Halloween costumes.
• "A lot of parents, it appeals to them that they don't have to keep this stuff forever," Bourven says.

Plus: For each annual membership they sell, they'll also match memberships for local families meeting federal requirements for free and reduced-price lunch.