Some of us are parents, some are grandparents, and others may simply enjoy the company of cousins, nieces, or nephews once in a while. We are lucky to say that many of us have young children in our lives at some point/ life juncture. We all want the best for our children and others’ children, especially in the early stages of development.
Many of us grew up in the days of a balloon or butterfly-covered wallpaper in the nursery, long before anyone was thinking about the color-inspiration of their child’s space, whether that was our childhood or our children’s. Now we are in a whole new world and have the opportunity to use color in ways to improve our lives and the lives of our youngest family members!
As an interior paint consultant, I often get asked what the best colors are for toddlers and young developing minds. I decided to write a blog focusing on what color choices are the best colors for toddlers in different areas of the home!
When it comes to selecting colors for toddlers’ rooms and spaces, it may not be as clear-cut of a decision as some might think. As I’ve talked about many times, one must consider the emotional intention of the space when choosing colors because colors affect mood.
Color selection can be even more challenging for toddlers and children because their minds and emotions are not at a point where they digest colors as we do as adults. It is important to realize that color choices for toddlers and children are very influential and can even elicit emotional reactions from them!
In an article published by Dr. Tricia Skoler, she notes that studies have debunked the idea that infants do not see color or only see in monochromatic. From a very young age, infants and toddlers have emotional responses to different colors; for example, researchers observed some children at the age of three associating the color yellow with happy facial expressions and blue with sad facial expressions. We begin forming our relationships with colors at a very young age, so it’s necessary to consider the lasting impact of our color choices!
Most toddlers (except maybe some royalty?) will only really have the reign over two rooms in the average home, at most. For this reason, I will go over these rooms and which colors and
color palettes will work best in these spaces to encourage the right emotional auras for young children.
A toddler’s bedroom needs to be a place of harmony, comfort, relaxation, and peace. It’s the room in the house where the child needs to feel at ease and most at home. Most importantly, for the child’s sake and the parents’, the bedroom needs to promote sleep. For this reason, I highly suggest using softer hues for a child’s room. Some of the color choices for a toddler’s room are soft violets, airy blues, creamy yellows, and delicate greens. Excited or loud colors will not promote a soothing atmosphere and will activate the child’s mind and body when parents want their children to calm down and rest.
Now, just because soothing colors should be the majority of the bedroom colors doesn’t mean the space should be void of louder/more fun color highlights! Decals, throw pillows, and stuffed animals can all be worked into the bedroom to showcase your child’s unique tastes and add just the right amount of dynamic contrast (and a little bit of fun!)
Finally, I must say I have a soft spot for using pink in the bedroom. It is not necessarily a boy’s or girl’s room at this young age, but more importantly, it can be a quiet and restful space which is the look and feel we are looking for, for any energetic toddler!
If you have a dedicated playroom in your home, this is the place to promote happiness and energy with colors that will stimulate interaction. The best colors for this are reds, oranges, and yellows. Red is a stimulating color that can energize children and even increase focus – it’s used as accent colors in classrooms for this purpose. Generally, warmer colors can be energizing, and this is the best place to use them!
Orange is bright, cheerful, and enthusiastic. Use this color in the room but beware, it can be overwhelming. It can be used as an accent color in the bedroom, but it’s in the playroom where this color can really shine! As orange is a warm color, it’s often used to promote communication, interaction and even help shy children socialize. However, too much orange or red, for that matter, can overwhelm children, so the colors have to be used strategically.
Yellow is believed to help with learning, focus, and concentration – the playroom should be fun, of course, but it should also aid in a child’s development; a soft yellow is a great color for positive reinforcement as a toddler learns. Again, too bright a yellow can be too much of a good thing. Use these colors in the room as long as they are not the whole room, and you will be just fine!
If there is any advice I would leave you with, it’s to make the spaces your toddler’s life fun! I would add enough color so that their spaces have an identity, a place that feels like it’s theirs as soon as they walk in the door. Use your colors to make them happy, and you will have succeeded in creating the best space for the toddler in your life!
As a color expert, I love hearing stories from people about their experiences with color. What colors were/are your kids’ rooms? Did you find some colors more successful than others? Please share your thoughts!
