No picture , no drawing with dimensions,( USA FEET/INCHES ) equals mystery meat and no answers : )

I tried a few times to upload the picture, didn't work...trying again

The ONE picture loaded. ( you must wait for any jpeg to clarify on your phone screen )

Now...........do the drawing with feet and inches, and upload THAT.: )

It's 18.5sq.m which is around 200square feet. Dimensions are 13×15 feet approx. Aliminium roofing. 2 whole sides are open railed in balconies, a the 3rd and 2/3 of the 4th side are external walls. There is an exit to a dark passage (that's where I took the picture) and another opening to an open deck. All the roofed space is covered by heavy waterproof tenting,but I haven't yet solved the drainage problem, and right now the rain that falls on the open deck, drains in through to the closed area.

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We care not square feet!! It is meaningless.

( USA FEET/INCHES ) We are not metric. If you want to use the USA site, use USA feet and inches as asked. The help is free and nobody wants to bother converting

Measure/convert!

THE WALLS, !!! Left, right, and back again! Where is the door to get out there?

What is the climate, what country, what "dark passage" ?

Honestly, nobody will work this hard to help you: )

You have to draw, measure, USA , not metric and upload the drawing. Bold and legible

If any of that is open for kids to fall out there is no way I would make it play space . You mention they climb that needs to addressed first .How does this relate to the acyual home or apartment . That is wahy we need a to scale floor plan This seems to me to be ahuge waste of space for play room used rarely if I understand the question

Given floor gets wet when it rains is a big factor. What is the floor now, does water sit/soak in, and how is it addressed? Mold could be an issue and first thing I’d do is waterproof floor so it can be wiped up and secure plexiglass where rain gets in. That will solve needing to put everything away just in case it rains. Get input from their parents, as toy lifespan and interest can be short lived. Consider type/size of storage where they can access items. A 13x15 space may seem large, but it really isn’t to keep kids engaged and I’d skip plants.

If it were me, I’d create a small play space inside and create a cozy spot on balcony where you can read to them, set up a low table so they can color, do puzzles, build things and have snacks. How old are they?

It seems unsafe for a playroom. Ropes hanging down, hard tile floor, plastic fabric "walls" that rough housing kids can fall through. Add in plants that young children might try to eat, and water that leaks into the room, potentially creating a mold issue, or a fall risk. It seems that you would need to really upgrade the enclosure with real roof, walls, and windows to water proof the room, before ever considering making it a playroom.

Just stop. This looks terribly unsafe. Those are not walls. They are fabric tenting. No accident is worth making this into a play space. Kids can play anywhere. Just find good indoor storage for their toys and have them play in the dining room, living room. Wherever.

Thanks you for all your comments. There are high safety railings behind the fabric and the fabric itself is sturdy and fixed. And the space is intended to function as an outdoor area when its not raining...The floor is ceramic tiling. There is adraining hole in the floor that absorbs any wetcoming in from outside, I'm researching what is the best way to get it moved so the floor inside will stay dry.

Of course children would need to be supervised here - that's what's the couch is for.

My worry about climbing on tables isn't because they might fall out of the window, but because they might fall from lightweight plastic garden furniture.

Go to the park when it isn't raining.: )

Climbing is an outdoor activity, and even if "up in the air, on a play structure, , it is A GROUND LEVEL activity.

As others have stated, if this is intended as an outdoor space, it is not a good space for a play area for kids especially if they are climbers. Create a space indoors for your grandchildren to play in and keep this room as is.

I’m going to disagree with a lot of the comments here but maybe that’s because we let our three kids play in the garage a lot. Seriously. Outside space that is outside but has a roof is great to have with kids. A bit of fresh air but not fully exposed to the elements is fun. We put down foam play mats and had bins of things we pulled out to play with when there like big Duolingo blocks and other kind of indoor/outdoor toys. We had a plastic big playhouse thing on one side that they loved going in and it of. A sand table in wheels, and a water table. All of which could be covered up and protected from elements if need be. We also had a couple of toys they could scoot around on like the car they sit in and push with their feet and that kind of thing. It was a garage so im sore there was “danger” all around and things they could have climbed etc but we were in said garage with them when they played. I think your space looks like a blank space for a fun option.

Duplo not Duolingo!

A garage is usually on the ground floor unless they were playing in an upper level parking garage. This is not.

Who cares? Kids play in balconies all the time. This is closed in. Grandma will be out there with them. Lots of people with fake safety concerns here

Thank you. I find it difficult to understand the problem - don't children live in apartment blocks or sleep in 2nd floor bedrooms? Small children need supervision inside and out. They play in the lounge, but need more space, and we also need somewhere to store bigger toys, so I thought closing off this porch would be a good idea. I just wanted ideas to make it warmer and more homely, while keeping it child safe, and storing space off the floor - so in the event of heavy rain, that will probably drizzle in from outside, nothing will get damp or moldy. As for safety - there are also windows in the lounge!

As for the greenery in the picture - it's a plastic decoration that's tied to the railings, for shade and privacy, outside of the pvc covering. So no kids will eat it!

Talk to the grandchildren's pediatrician and see what they think. If they give you the green light, go for it. Seriously. There have been a lot of public health campaigns and epidemiological studies about how to reduce the morbidity from window and balcony falls.

"Kids play in balconies all the time."

I never see kids playing on balconies. Perhaps I'm not looking at the right balconies! Where are you living that you see so much of this?

I don't see a safety issue, unless the kids are unsupervised. I do see a dreary, gray space.

I'd get an indoor/outdoor rug in a bright color, coordinate with pillows and a throw for the sofa and remove the fence thing. I'd paint the walls.

If you're worried about the kids climbing on chairs, get beanbag chairs. In my experience, kids play on the floor, so you need a rug, but not a table.

Kendrah you have got to be joking. You don’t see kids playing on balconies so it doesn’t happen? Yes kids play in various spaces including supervised and outside and on balconies. They have play tables and sandboxes and they look at the view and read books. They sit on outdoor rugs and play with cars and more.

Congratulations on having active grandchildren! IMO the biggest threat to children's health is inactivity. This looks like a great play space. Those railings look high and safe to me.

With a ceramic floor and a drainage hole, they can do messy play which is really the best kind. So don't be quick to add carpeting.

Clear plastic storage bins with lids can hold anything that shouldn't get wet. One bin could hold older towels, with "drying things off" being the first play activity. A low table and chairs are good for crafts. A smaller indoor-outdoor rug can have rings sewn to one side, and hung to dry on hooks if needed. A small tent is always a hit, and they're waterproof. Depending on the age, taking the tent down and setting it up again is half the fun. Garish plastic toys can be stored in the tent between visits.

An appliance-size cardboard box, although unsightly, is the best "toy".

One of my grandchildren's favourite activities is "soup" which uses my big metal mixing bowl, a soup ladle, whisk, measuring cups and dried out play dough which makes gloopy noodles when mixed with warm water. A few drops of food colouring are fun. Since the 10 year old is reading Harry Potter, it's sometimes now a magic potion. The adult supervisor's role is to refuse to taste it, and the children convince us that is really good, and are thrilled when we "drink" it, and it's horrible. Or we turn into monsters and need a fast antidote.

You are in an apartment complex? Have any of your other neighbours childproofed their balconies? Once the area is safe--then it can be decorated and brightened up.

It's a 2nd floor appt. I would like to close it with a normal roof and proper glass windows, but it's a brand new project and its a problem to do renovations right now. I'd need planning permission. I love the idea of the indoor-outdoor rug with rings to hang it up, and the tent...there shouldn't be any rain coming in directly, as the roof and sides are well sealed, just from the open space beyond the roof - the drainage was designed to make the rain flow down from out to in! The drainhole is near the entrance to the appt instead of being at the far end. So we had to leave an opening on the floor, to prevent flooding.

For the love of heaven on earth, and we know not where on this earth you live.

In this country, in an apartment, a condominium, any level floor above terra firma .... a balcony is just that , and for a reason. It is supposed to be rained on, snowed on. If it was meant to be glassed and covered, if designed as " sun room " or solarium" it would BE that. Yours is by design, open air. You need shade? It's a patio table with an umbrella cover to open or close.

I don't want to be an internet cop or the balcony policewoman. But you are waxing on about play, storage, toys, drainage, outdoor rugs, "renovations" and you STILL have no USA measure of the exterior space posted. You can't even accept its purpose!

In the end? It is simply this:

"the space is intended to function as an outdoor area when its not raining..."

An outdoor space , mystery size, just "large" . In whatever county you reside.

love that you want to create a fun space for the kids - Agree with @WestCoast Hopeful on the sand table and water table - we had those and my boys loved them when they were little - we also had an outdoor pretend kitchen so they used the sand and water to cook up all sorts of things (hit the thrift shop for plastic bowls, spoons, measuring cups etc)

plus a larger low flat plastic table is great with some little stools - can be an art table, train table, lego or wood block table, also great for playing with cars and trucks

I think rotating the toys helps a lot - fewer toys out at once but a fair amount variety I think can work well in a space like this

I’d use some paint to clean up the surface/visuals and a cheerful large outdoor rug :)

I agree with la_la. Clean up the space, add a colorful outdoor rug.
Can you post some photos of the room from other angles? You might be able to add some colorful wall decor but it's hard to tell.
How old are the kids?