Must Haves for Kids’ Room

Part 1 – (toddlers to 5 years)

Every parent strives to give the best of their capability to their children. Part of this, is giving them a kind of room they have always dreamed of. No matter how young the kids are, they always have their own personal likes, dislikes and not to forget their sweet fantasies and imaginations. Giving the children their dream bedroom is something they will cherish all their life. Having an organised and separate bedroom for the kids, also contributes in making them independent and responsible for their surroundings / belongings.

As a mother of two adorable kids, ( aged 10 and 5), I realised that the basic requirements of a child in his room in terms of furniture, storage etc, pretty much remain the same all through the growing years. However, the size, styling and design change significantly as our darlings move from their toddler to teenage years.

In my present write up and two more to follow, I intend to cover the ‘must haves for kid’s room’. I will be sharing room design tips for following age groups-

–       Toddlers to 5 years

–       5 – 10 years

–       Teenagers

In spite of being a fun project, decorating a kid’s room can be very confusing and challenging, wherein one tries to make space for a lot of things a child always needs. To make it simple for my readers, I am listing down; basic must haves with creative design tips around very element.

1. BED – the sweet dreams platform

Bed, now that’s a little obvious but it sure is the key ingredient to any bedroom recipe. As far as the kids (below 5) bed is concerned, function over form is the rule. Comfort and safety are the most important criteria to be looked at.

A low height bed with safety rails. Image Courtesy: undomesticated mom.com

If one is selecting a bed for toddler to five year age span, a low height bed is an excellent option. The bed can be made with removable safety rails too, as the fixed ones can pose an obstruction for the child’s free movement. A smooth finish, rounded edges, and hardware that doesn't stick out, so your pipsqueak doesn’t get poked, is to be assured. Also very importantly, the bed mattress must snugly fit the bed base frame as to avoid any gaps which can pose entrapment hazard.

A sturdy construction material for the bed. The toddler bed you buy has to be tough enough for your rough-and-tumble tot (and maybe some visiting pals as well). In case you’re looking into extending your family, a trundle bed can be a nicer idea; wherein the new member in the house can enjoy the beautiful sleep haven too.

A trundle bed- additional bed that can be alternatively used as storage too.Image courtesy:dadka.net

2. LIGHTING – bright bright sunshine

Children use their bedrooms for many things from drawing to playing, so one must have both ambient and task lighting options. Installing some wall mounted ambient lights can ensure well – lit rooms. Keeping in mind the activities your child does in the room, the provision of task lights should be made. For example, your child will likely need a desk lamp, if he or she will be working on homework or playing with something like puzzles. You may also want to consider placing a lamp beside your child’s bed if he or she enjoys reading at night. Small kid’s rooms are an opportunity to design a fun space, and your child will probably enjoy a stylishly playful lighting fixture. Favourite cartoon characters or playful colours on lighting fixtures can add a lot to the special look of the room.

Suitable wattage ceiling mounted light fixtures impart effective ambient lighting in the kid’s room. Image courtesy- roomdes.com

Lights can be used as a wall décor, wherein keeping safety of the children as a primary concern.     Image courtesy- roomdes.com

3. CLOTHING STORAGE – keep the clutter out

Designing small spaces when organizing clothes closets for young kids is a practical solution to all storage woes. Small drawers, pull out baskets, cubbies etc make it easy for kids to find what they're looking for without making a mess.

Image courtesy- houzz.com

Alternatively, a chest of drawers, an armoire, a dresser, or even under the bed storage can be designed to give the kids ample space and easy access to their stuff. Use of baskets and small boxes helps to keep small items like hair clips, caps, mittens etc orderly. Keep these storage containers small, too, so they're lightweight and easy to search through.

Use of wire closet accessories help provide smart and expandable storage solutions   Image courtesy- barefootandcompany.com

4. TOY STORAGE – the cubby holes

Easy access is the key criteria for toy and supply storage for tiny tots. For everything, from pretend play and sorting puzzles to playing games and doing messy art and craft, it's important to make it easy for your kids to know where their belongings are, so they can develop a sense of independence from being able to take charge of parts of their routine.

Open and closed cubby holes are a fun way to design toy storage. The colourful belongings add to he room décor whereas the closed storage helps to put away things with less visual appeal.   Image courtesy- colorfulkids.com

Furniture heights should be decided keeping in mind, the child’s height. Make sure that most of the stuff frequently used (toys, colours, puzzles etc) are kept at easy accessible height. For items like building blocks or art supplies that are usually carried to play / study areas, it is suggested best to be kept in portable pullout baskets. (Shown in picture above)

5. PLAY AREA – my personal playground

Play area. No matter how big or small the room is, one needs to carve out a space where the child can play freely. Whether for pretend play or tracing pictures, constructing block models or simply engaging in puzzles, play area forms an integral part of a child’s creative environment.

Image Courtesy: paseoner.com

Image Courtesy: paseoner.com

The play area should be free of sharp edged furniture, protruding objects, window opening that are within reach and very importantly electric sockets.

In case the play area is large enough, placing a rug (that can be cleaned easily) on the floor is advisable. Not only does it ensure that children do not make direct contact with floor in case they fall but also adds a little warmth and colour to the room.

Additional seating significantly adds to the comfort level of the room. It can be added in terms of floor cushions, bean bags, small foot stools etc. They are a must have where the kids invite a lot of friends to their play den.

Image courtesy- askfurniture.com

Image courtesy- askfurniture.com

Image courtesy- askfurniture.com

SOME DÉCOR TIPS

Image courtesy- ikea.com

Image courtesy- ikea.com

DECALS AND COLORFUL GROWTH CHARTS ARE A FUN WAY TO LIVEN UP THE WALLS IN A KIDS ROOM.

Image courtesy- marketplace.secondlife.com

BRIGHT, VIBRANT SPLASH OF COLOURS ON ALL SOFT FURNISHINGS LIKE CUSHIONS, CURTAINS AND BED LINEN ARE A GREAT WAY OF REFLECTING THE CHILD’S INTERESTS

To know how to make your children's room Vaastu friendly, click here