How to Decorate Rooms for Kids

Use bright colors and child-friendly accessories to decorate a child's room.

Decorate your child's room, whether her bedroom or play room, in a way that makes her happy, at ease and promotes creative play. Use a simple color scheme or theme that fits your child's personality and interests. Start with a basic design plan that can be adapted to new themes with simple tweaks if your child's interests seem to change every week. Focus on creating a room that is attractive, can function as necessary and most of all provides a safe haven for your child to retreat to.

Things You'll Need

• Paint
• Wall decor
• Furniture
• Storage
• Accessories

Instructions

1. Paint a mural on the wall if you have the artistic ability or know-how. Use removable adhesive wall decals if you can't paint or if your child frequently changes his preferences. For example, create an entire town with cars, trucks, planes and trains using decals that he can play with and move himself, and then take down when he moves on to superheroes.

2. Hang framed artwork, pictures or posters that relate to the theme of the room, such as her favorite cartoon character. Or, frame some of your child's masterpieces to create a small art gallery dedicated to her. Seeing her own work on the walls can encourage her to stay creative and boost her confidence in her creative abilities.

3. Choose sturdy child-sized furniture that's comfortable (and durable) for your child. Position the bed against a wall to leave open space for him to play. Set up a table and chairs he can play on and use for crafts or other activities. Themed furniture can add to a room that you don't plan on changing again soon, such as a firetruck bed or castle play set.

4. Include child-sized storage that makes it easy for your little one to clean up after playtime. Small shelves with baskets and bins can help her keep her toys organized and make it easy to transport her toys from her room to other rooms if desired. Display her favorite toys on top of the shelves to use them as part of the decor and give your child easier access to them.

5. Choose simple accessories that function and add to the decor. Sports ball drawer knobs can replace plain knobs in a boy's sports-themed room or pegs shaped like flowers can serve as hooks for a little girl's backpack and sweater. Lamps, pillows, rugs and nightlights are available in almost any shape or color you can imagine.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a theme or color scheme that appeals to all of the children who will share the space. For example, an underwater theme can include mermaids, fish and pirates, which might appease little boys and girls who share a play room.

• Avoid including heavy, bulky furniture that can fall on your child if he tries to climb on it. Anchor those pieces to the wall or exclude them completely.

• Cover all open electrical outlets and make sure there are no hanging strings or other choking hazards in your child's room.

References

• Better Homes and Gardens: Themed Rooms for Kids
• Decorating Kids' Rooms
• Decorating Kids' Rooms
• Home and Garden Television: Pictures of Kids' Rooms