The not so good

Building a smart home isn’t about getting it perfect the first time. In fact, the secret to a truly smart home is in playing around constantly—testing new devices, trying out automations, and tweaking your setup until it fits your needs perfectly. At The Almost SmartHome, we’ve found that the best way to make your smart home smart is to treat it like a playground for endless experimentation.

The “Playground” Approach to Home Automation One thing we’ve learned is that your smart home should always have a set of “playground” devices. These are the gadgets and sensors that aren’t committed to any final automation yet—they’re your tools for testing out new ideas. If you come up with a new automation concept, whether it’s motion-triggered lights or temperature-based actions, you can set it up quickly using these spare devices. Think of it as your personal sandbox for smart home experimentation.

With this approach, you’re free to move things around, change automation triggers, and play with placement until you find something that works. If it doesn’t? No worries—just throw that device back into the drawer and pull it out when a new idea strikes.

Testing and Tweaking: The Core of Smart Home Success Testing is key. Your smart home is full of variables—maybe a sensor is too sensitive, or an automation doesn’t fire exactly how you expected. With playground devices, you can tweak everything without disturbing your main setup. Placement, timing, or even adjusting sensitivity on sensors can make a huge difference, and having spare devices lets you do this with ease.

Once you’ve got a working automation, it’s time to make it permanent. Stick down the device, rename it (no more “test_sensor_1,” welcome “living_room_light_sensor”), and make that automation live for everyone in the house to enjoy. The final step? Order a replacement device, because trust us, there’s always another idea around the corner, and you’ll need fresh gear for your next experiment.

Advertisements The Joy of Constant Experimentation Building a smart home is like working with an ever-evolving puzzle. By keeping a playground of devices ready to go, you give yourself the freedom to try out new ideas, test different configurations, and perfect your automations. It’s this constant experimentation that keeps things exciting—and ultimately, that makes your smart home work for you.

You don’t have to be afraid of things not working perfectly right away. By testing automations first and keeping your system flexible, you can avoid the frustration of failed setups and focus on building a smart home that’s truly smart.

Recommended Device Packs for Experimentation If you’re wondering what devices to start with for your playground setup, we’ve got you covered. Below are some suggestions at different levels—each pack gives you more devices to play with and more ways to fine-tune your smart home.

Basic Starter Pack: Smart Plugs[Amazon] Automate any appliance with ease. Motion Sensors[Amazon] To trigger automations. Contact Sensors[Amazon] These work with way more things than windows and doors. Weather Sensor[Amazon] Weather or humidity, monitor and trigger. Leak Detectors[Amazon] These are awesome triggers as well, not just to detect water leaks. Presence Sensors[Amazon] Automate based on specific individuals at home. Conclusion: Keep Experimenting, Keep Improving In the world of smart homes, there’s always something new to test. By constantly playing around with your smart devices and keeping a set of “playground” sensors at the ready, you’ll create a home that evolves with your needs—and stays reliably smart. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned automation nerd, there’s always another idea waiting to be tested.