From bookshelves and story time rugs to large play structures, children’s spaces are evolving to reflect a deeper understanding of how children actually learn. Although reading remains central, research shows that intellectual and social development is supported by a wide range of activities that include imaginative play, hands-on creativity, and whole-body movement. Children’s spaces in libraries are increasingly being designed to allow for these activities, balanced with quieter areas to read or calm an overwhelmed nervous system.

Redford Township District Library, MI; MCD Architects, architect; Steve Kroodsma, photo.

Several recent projects showcase these trends. Sno-Isle Library’s reimagined Edmonds Library, in Seattle, features a pebble-shaped plywood climbing structure and a programmable LED peg wall. The Redford Township District Library, MI, includes scaled structures for imaginative play. On the calmer end of the spectrum, both the Bentonville Public Library, AR, and the Gladstone Library, OR, incorporate small, cozy seating areas for pairs or small groups to read aloud or together.

Sno-Isle Libraries–Edmonds Library, WA, Johnston Architects, architect; Andrew Storey, photo.

Outdoor play areas are also becoming more common. The Denmark Library of Forsyth County Public Library, Alpharetta, GA, and Midland Library in Portland, OR, extend children’s areas into large outdoor play spaces.

Denmark Library, GA; McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, architect; Rion Rizzo/Creative Sources, photo.

Designers are also creating children’s spaces that can flex to support many different uses. At Cleveland Public Library’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Campus, mobile shelving can easily move out of the way to make room for group activities. At the Redmond Library, OR, uniquely shaped shelving doubles as soft seating and a play element, giving children freedom to use the space in multiple ways.

Bentonville Public Library, AR; MSR Design, Hight Jackson Associates, architects; ©2025 Corey Gaffer Photography LLC., photo.

Underpinning all these projects is an acknowledgment that children thrive when they are given the opportunity to explore and create and learn on their own terms, in environments that do not tightly control the types of activities they are allowed to do. By designing children’s areas for the whole child, they are nurturing the next generation of lifelong learners.

BACK TO YEAR IN ARCHITECTURE 2025 LANDING PAGE