Today, I’m going to share ‘What I’m Loving’ for nature-inspired children’s rooms. But first – let me tell you why.
One of my top priorities this Spring is to declutter and simplify my son’s playroom. We have a super energetic 3.5 year old that attends preschool just three days during the week. Since he is still home most days and we also host playdates often, that playroom gets a lot of use! Over the past 3 years, like many other parents, we have accumulated too many toys thanks to loving grandmas and the good-intentions of relatives and friends offloading hand-me down toys to us. My original intentions of a simplified and peaceful playroom has gone out the window a bit. I’m starting to feel a little toy clutter/stimulation overwhelm in that space and can’t wait to go back to simplicity.
I’ve always been a big proponent of peaceful children’s’ spaces ever since my son attended his first part-time childcare center. It was a Montessori school. Let me share what that environment was like from my own mama point of view and as a designer.
I love the children’s products at communityplaythings.com.
When we first visited the center, I was greeted with such a calm and peaceful environment. Here are some of the huge positives I noticed:
- The space was open and filled with natural light.
- There was a sense of order, but playfulness still existed. It wasn’t cluttered with brightly colored fluorescent plastic toys. Instead, there was just the right of amount of breathing room and a clear path to various intentionally laid out activities, within his reach, and fitting for his developmental stage.
- The environment was natural and nature-inspired – the furniture was quality, solid wood, that easy for him to pull out and sit down (it also was sturdy enough for my 6’1′ husband to sit on and do an activity with him).
- There was beauty – real live plants and flowers for the children to water and care for.
The biggest thing I noticed? My son didn’t cling to my leg in uneasiness, but actually left my side and began exploring the classroom on his own, while sweetly looking back at me every few seconds as if to say, “Is this okay, mom?” I can see the excitement on his face, it was lit up. This made my mama heart sing! (I sing worship at church so it really made me want to sing ‘Hallelujah!’ Ha! 😉 This would be the first time my son was away from me on a regular basis, though just a few mornings a week, and it made me feel so at ease to know he loved the space. I absolutely loved creating this What I’m Loving board and reminiscing on his first school/childcare center.
Here are the 5 items from the What I’m Loving board above to create this nature-inspired, peaceful environment for your child’s space at home. Hope this post has inspired you to de-clutter, simplify and think of your children’s rooms in a new way!
- Kid’s 3-piece square table and chair set – www.wayfair.com
- Simple, nomadic light blue rug – www.jossandmain.com
- Cotton Canvas pom-pom kid’s storage bin – www.onekingslane.com
- 5-shelf 48″ Bookshelf – brief description – www.allmodern.com
- Stacklable bookshelf 18″ – www.wayfair.com
Do you need help creating a space you love, including design boards with sourced products like this one? Learn more about my design services.