Has the time come to transition your toddler from their nursery to a ‘big kid’ room? As a mom of 2 (soon to be 3), I know this particular milestone can be a bit daunting. Transitioning your toddler from their crib to a regular bed or even a whole new room is a big deal!
Both of my girls made the transition to their toddler beds before I really felt like they “needed” to switch. Each time it was because the crib would be needed for the arrival of a new baby. With my oldest, her cousin was about to be born and needed the crib more than she did. She was almost 3 at the time but loved her crib and was perfectly content with it – not trying to climb out and would play in it for a while without a fuss. Now I am in a similar boat with my 2 year old, as her little sister will be here in a few short months and we’ve decided not to purchase another crib this time around.
What to Consider for your Toddler’s Big Kid Room Transition
I would like to preface this by saying I’m not an expert on toddlers by any means. However, I can share my own experiences and hopefully help you to make the transition from nursery to big kid room as smooth as possible! Take what tips and information will suit your family best and leave the rest!
Main points to consider for your new or updated “toddler” room:
- Splurge vs save. Consider the long haul when designing your toddler’s new room.
- Babyproof every single thing to the nines. If you think they won’t get into it – you’re probably wrong.
- Declutter the toys or any possible distractions.
- Include them – make it exciting for your toddler!
Splurge Vs Save
Designing your new or updated toddler room is usually the most fun part of this transition. Fresh new spaces can be very exciting for adults and kids alike! When you’re in the initial design phase be mindful of what you should actually be spending decent money on (furniture they can grow into for example) or what you might want to try saving a little money on.
Certain items that will go into your toddler’s room will need to last quite some time and certain things will likely be grown out of rather quickly. Their obsession with Minnie Mouse or Thomas the Train likely wont last for the next 10 years. Don’t spend a fortune on all new chcaracter lamps and shelves and wall art because you’ll likely be replacing it all before long.
The Toddler Bed vs Twin or Larger Option
If you opt for a toddler sized bed instead of a larger option, just know that you will be upgrading that in the next couple of years at most. My nephew is 4 but the size of a 7 year old and the idea of him still being in a toddler bed is laughable! These are things you’ll want to be mindful of and not spend a ton of money on for your toddler.
Personally, I always recommend staying away from direct themes for children’s spaces. Keep it mostly timeless or neutral as far as wall colors, furniture, curtains or rugs. Then add in the fun stuff with character pieces such as favorite shows or frilly unicorns etc. in their bedding or minimal artwork.
Baby/Toddler Proofing
Now we move onto the less fun part of the deal but it is definitely the most important!
Toddlers are wild little beings and for their own sake, need to be watched closely. Unfortunately, you can’t watch them if they’re up at 3 am and the rest of the house is sleeping! We’ve taken several steps to ensure our 2 year old won’t be able to get into too much mischief once she gains that extra bit of freedom.
The transition from nursery to big kid room needs to be thoroughly thought out for safety reasons!
+ Anchor furniture to the wall. Make sure you anchor it to the studs and not just the drywall!! With the exception of her bed and small toddler table, everything else has been secured to prevent any toppling. Even if you’ve never seen your kiddo climb so much as a pillow to get onto the couch, better safe than sorry on this one.
+ Cover the chords and electrical outlets. We were able to put lamps and her monitor chords behind larger pieces of furniture so she couldn’t get to them but you can use something like this to secure chords if that isn’t an option for your space. We also have these placed in any exposed outlets.
+ Make sure anything on the walls is properly secured or mounted. Curtains, wall shelves, mirrors, artwork, etc. Even if it’s not within reach of your little one, make sure they are hung in the appropriate manor! Your never know when they may decide to throw a stuffed animal to see how high it’ll go or try to open the curtains themselves and end up in a bad situation. Secure everything!
+ Secure the door. This one may be a tad controversial, but it has given us so much peace of mind. We use this on the inside of our toddler’s bedroom door so she can’t roam the entire house at night. All that baby proofing in her room would be pointless if she could just go down into the kitchen and help herself to the pantry shelves or something.
Bonus tip: Video Monitors. This is a necessity!! We do have a video monitor in our toddler’s room which I highly recommend for any parent of littles! So, if she needs out or is upset for any reason, we will see/hear her on the monitor. This option can connect up to 4 monitors at a time which is awesome if you have multiple children or a play area that you’d like to also monitor when needed.
Toys
Be mindful of the toys that are present and accessible. We are lucky to have a designated playroom in our home so we never really kept any toys in the nursery to begin with. If toys are present however, once your little one will have access to them at all times, it’s probably a good idea to go through everything and make sure they’re completely safe but also quiet! Loud or light up toys are not something you’ll want your toddler to have access to when they should be sleeping.
A few of the toy options we decided to put in Veda’s space once she transitioned to her toddler room included wooden blocks, a few stacking/pulling toys, stuffed animals, a rocking horse (that we were confident she did not need our assistance with getting on and off of), and books. The simpler the toy and the fewer options they have, the better!
Include them in the Process
There are a number of ways in which to include your toddler with their nursery-to-big-kid room transition. You can give them as little or as much say in things as you want. A few ways to include your toddler in this big change to make it exciting would be:
- If painting, allow them to choose a paint color – I would advise narrowing it down to 3-4 colors first and then allowing your toddler to choose their favorite from your selections. This way you wont end up with fuchsia and turquoise striped walls and everyone will be happy.
- Take them shopping for their new bedding. This can be so much fun!!
- Set up an area for their favorite toy or stuffed animal/baby doll.
- Get them a new nightlight and let him or her pick it out. Bonus points – get a projector like this one that throws stars onto the ceiling – they will LOVE it!
- Really personalize the space with an area for their artwork or other creations. These awesome art picture frames are perfect for displaying finger paints or other paper projects. A bookshelf would be a great option for clay pieces or a fun rock/nature collection.
That’s it y’all! You and your sweet toddler will be ready for their big kid room in no time with these tips! It can feel like such a big deal and it really is!! But that doesn’t mean it has to be daunting. One step at a time and enjoy the process!
A few sources from our girl’s toddler room if you’re interested!
White Metal Twin Bed (similar)
Blush Velvet Curtains (other colors are available and such a steal!)
Wallpaper (other great wallpaper options can be found in THIS POST!)
The gorgeous wool rug gets asked about often but it was a Facebook marketplace find. If you want to know about anything not listed here please let me know!
Olivia
