When it comes to creating a fantastic child's bedroom all other decorating rules tend to go out the window. It doesn't matter if pink, purple and blue looks 'too' busy together or if hot air balloons, spacemen or if more owls than in Harry Potter are flying all over the wallpaper. Nor is it a problem if a fuzzy lime green rug is placed in completely the wrong area because 'it's the grass for my Sylvanian families,' as opposed to helping to keep little feet warm in the mornings when they get out of bed or are playing on the carpet. These spaces should be real hives of creativity, from arts and crafts, books, colouring pencils and dolls to action figures, dressing up clothes and jigsaw puzzles.
Imagination plays a vital part in our children's development, so they need strong visual cues, such as colours, pictures and objects to stimulate their senses, expand their horizons and even improve their memories. Their room should be free of any responsibility or stress, although they should be taught to take care of and tidy their belongings away from an early age. All their school work should be kept in a different area so as to not muddy the waters between work and play. Here, they should feel content, relaxed and safe at all times while being allowed to completely be their awesome, funny, and inspiring selves.
A Comfy, Cosy Bed
All humans need a good night's sleep in order to rest, recover and recharge their batteries so that they're ready to take on the challenges of a new day. It goes without saying, that the smallest people of all need the most rest as kids brains are fizzing away like fireworks, constantly learning new ideas, questioning the world around them and testing the limits of their capabilities. Even babies need incredible cots and cot beds as it’s recommended that children under five need around 10-14 hours of sleep per night, school aged children need around 9-11 hours and our teenagers require at least 8 hours a night to function properly during the day.Nightlights
Quite a few young children are afraid of the dark and even though it's recommended that we sleep in as dark a room as we can, kids don't like it. Being afraid of the dark can happen for a number of reasons, your son or daughter just may have watched something frightening, inappropriate or just plain strange on TV recently which has freaked them out. They could even be suffering from stress or anxiety over an upcoming test, sports competition or even who they'll sit next to at lunch tomorrow.Lots of kids simply have bad nightmares and waking up shaking, scared and alone in a black room isn't fun for anyone. By buying them a cute, animal or cartoon shaped light when they do wake up in the middle of the night, instead of screaming or running into your room they'll be able to see around the gently illuminated room. Seeing familiar objects and toys will calm them alongside the nightlights comforting, twinkling presence and be reassured that everything is completely fine, there are are no monsters waiting for them under the bed and life’s A Ok.
Plushies To Snuggle With
Soft, cuddly toys are an absolute must for any child's bedroom from fluffy cats, bears, and rabbits to plush doggies, lions and even winged unicorns. You'd be surprised at how many uses a soft toy can have; They are impromptu pillows, furry comfort blankets, guests at a tea party, an audience, the school children, appreciative fans and even help to stop other things falling over. They can be talked to, read to and even assist kids practicing their show and tell presentations. Toys are a fantastic way for kids to learn about their imaginations and the wonderful, never ending power of the world of make believe. Quality soft toys are also great because, thanks to rigorous testing, you know that even toddlers are less likely to swallow tiny bits of plastic, get some fur stuck up their nose or even squeeze them so hard they break.A Clock
Kids normally learn to tell the time at around five, or six but it's fine to have a clock in their room way before then. Kiddy clocks, like footballs, moons or even pizza's can be really fun but there's also nothing wrong with a standard digital, or analog time keeper. From a very young age, a child will learn about daily routines, getting up, being dressed, eating breakfast, going to nursery and so on. Your presence in the room at certain times of the day, even if they don't realise it yet, will later help them form a link between the clock and what they're currently doing. It also doesn't harm anyone to have one in their room so you can keep an eye on your schedule too!Books To Encourage Their Imagination
The ability to read and write is probably two of the most important gifts you can give to any child. These are the skills they'll need for the rest of their lives and it's never too early to encourage a love of books. Lead by example and from their birth set aside time to read to your child every evening, make trips to the local library or bookstore to choose kids books part of your regular routine and check they have access to both fiction and nonfiction paperbacks. Children who learn to read early on, from around three or so will become more advanced in other areas such as independent thinking, better spelling and a more advanced vocabulary.They'll also have a quicker understanding of what something means just from reading stories to themselves or having being read to. Pair reading with writing and they can create their own adventures, draw illustrations and paint pictures of their favourite characters. Let your child lead the way in which books, age appropriate of course, they choose and have shelves or a small child-sized bookcase on which to place their treasures!