This article is sponsored by crate & children. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Motherly and Mamas.
** Two lucky winners will have a chance to win a $500 Crate & Kids gift card. Enter here!
The transition from a toddler or child’s room to a large children’s room can be exciting but also overwhelming for parents and children alike. However, there are many ways you can ease the transition, sprinkle in some joy, and create a well-designed space that will serve your family for years to come. We converted this toddler room into a large children’s room crate & children products and have compiled our top 10 tips to make the transformation as smooth as possible.
1. Create a large nursery plan using pain points from the toddler’s room
As you look at the current state of the space, ask yourself what isn’t working and what your needs are. For example, her larger picture books may no longer fit on her old bookshelf. There may not be a designated playground. Maybe you just need a great place to make your outfit choices for the next day! When redesigning, focus on solutions to these problems. By doing these preliminary considerations, you can create a plan for the new space that really suits your needs.
2. Choose flexible furniture options
Thinking about how an item can change and serve a new purpose as your child grows will make life easier later on. Not to mention, if you don’t have to buy new furniture in just a few years, your budget will appreciate it! Crate & Kids has beautiful and adaptable options that make sense for both young and adult children.
When designing this space, I was instantly in love with this wall mounted table. It’s perfect for coloring right now – but big enough to double as a useful homework desk or turn into a dressing table when the child is older. Crate & Kids’ Beaumont Peg Rail is also a super versatile piece. It serves as a standard lever rail, basket holder, and even an easel, offering so much flexibility and function.
3. Think about long-term bedding needs
The fire truck or princess castle bed might put a big smile on their face now, but they’ll outgrow it sooner rather than later. Instead, skip the small crib and go straight to the “big crib”. Yes, that means putting a single or double bed in her room now. Considering that mattresses have a lifespan of about 10 years, that means the bed can easily last them through high school.
You’ll also get the most value for your purchase if you think carefully when choosing a quality and design-led piece. We selected the Maverick designed single bed that ticked all of these boxes! It has a soft padded beautiful bouclé headboard and looks dreamy with the Koshi Kids Organic Wild Animal Quilt. And the removable bed rails give parents peace of mind that the new bed is safe for those who don’t sleep well.
4. Promotion of independence
For young (but growing) children, things like reaching for the light switch, climbing into bed, choosing a book, or reaching for a shirt in their closet may be out of reach. For this reason, adding a step stool to a small child’s room can make a world of difference in building their independence.
This rectangular steel step stool is light enough to move but strong enough to climb on. The touch lamps are also a kids favorite. Turning off the light before bed is no longer answered with protests, but with “Mom I will!” In addition, the Beaumont lever rail is perfect for hanging clothes or cloaks and encourages the independence of little ones to keep their space tidy, as it is easy to put things in their right place.
5. Choose general purpose storage solutions
This family had a small and popular bookcase that was perfect for baby books but a nightmare for large picture books. Beautifully shaped, available in three colors to complement any room design, the Rue bookshelves can hold so many books. As a bonus, they can serve as cube storage. With two shelves, we were able to keep all the children’s books in one place and some extra toys in the white washable Blaine Cubes on top. These cubes also fit perfectly on the bookshelf. (Hint: we put one on the floor next to the library bookshelf!)
6. Encourage a love of reading with a cozy space
Creating a comfortable place where you can read to them now and where they can read themselves when they grow older is a gift that keeps on coming. The Leanne Ford bouclé glider matches our chosen bed, is a great size for snuggling up for reads together and stylish enough to be a very cool chair in the kids room when snuggle days are short.
It is equally important to ensure that your child has access to books. This means using the bottom shelves and adding a book shelf. The Beaumont Book Rack mounts beautifully next to the reading area and can be filled with accessible and enticing books to address topics you’re about to talk about.
7. Set clear expectations
A new room is a good opportunity to discuss the rules – how many books before bed, what is and isn’t suitable for climbing, which drawers they can access on their own, etc. Setting these clear expectations will also help to maintain them a clean and organized space. And don’t forget to make sure any large piece of furniture is securely attached to the wall. We love that all Crate & Kids items come with their own anti tip hardware. We considered not putting all of her furniture in her room until we knew we had time to add the anti-tip hardware to each piece.
8. Reorganize with your child’s needs in mind
For babies, we stow frequently used items high up because adults reach for everything. But if your child is of an age where you want them to be more responsible, it’s important to arrange the items in a way that allows for that independence. We chose the tall two-tone chest of drawers for this room because it offers plenty of space for clothes and small accessories. We then placed the clothes that we wanted the child to have access to in the bottom two drawers and separated them by category with fabric drawer dividers. Don’t forget to fold the clothes so your child can see all their clothes at once and make the choice of what to wear much easier.
9. Access the closet
All outfits are hung in the closet along with a matching shirt and trousers. The most-worn outfits are hung on the lowest rail so that a child can see them clearly. Leisure and unusual clothes can be hung on top.
We used the small metal stacking bins to categorize and store items such as holiday wear, growing up wear and activity wear. These bins from Crate & Kids are a great size and can grow and change to suit your family’s needs with just a change of label. They would look attractive and functional in any room and since they are stackable they can also help with unused vertical space.
The most accessible bins on the floor house donations/outgrown clothing, hangers and smart clothing. A coat hanger is one of our favorite tips. If you give your child a place to put things, all the hangers will be ready when you finally have to do the laundry and hang it up again. Make sure you set that expectation. Labeling the bins makes the system understandable for everyone in your house and is just so cute.
10. Make the transition easier for your child
The transition from a toddler or children’s room to a large nursery can be scary for some children, but you can facilitate the transition in fun and loving ways. Leading up to the transition, you can reference large children’s rooms in books and shows, read books from the library that cover this topic, create a countdown to the big day, talk about what will change and what will stay the same, and any questions answer they have.
You can also give your child choices so they can play a role in designing the new space. For example, narrow down the bedding options to two choices and let them make the final decision. And on the big (first!) night in the new room, set aside extra time for bedtime and surprise her with a new book, stuffed animal, or pajama set to welcome her into her new room.
This transition is a big change for everyone… It’s the beginning of a new chapter in your child’s life! With the right planning, it can be a huge win for parents and an exciting move for your child.
0 Comments