Bedrooms That Will Make Your Children Smarter

Can the right bedroom design make your children smarter?

According to the “Reggio Emilia” approach to childhood education, a child’s physical environment plays a huge role in their development.

It even describes the environment as a child’s “third teacher”, after parents and teachers.

The bedroom is your child’s first learning environment

Considering the ideal learning process should start early and at home, it is imperative that the environment of your children’s bedroom is optimised for their mental development.

Kathy Walker, an internationally renowned parenting and education expert, once said, “Childhood is filled with natural wonder and curiosity. The learning environment must reflect a classroom and outdoor space that inspires a sense of wanting to investigate, to find out, and to explore”.

Based on this philosophy, it is recommended that the children’s bedroom should be designed to support three distinct activities; sleep, play, and tidying up.

Bedroom Activity 1: Sleep

Themed children's bedroom design to stimulate their imagination — Themed children’s bedroom design to stimulate their imagination

The objective for this section is pretty obvious. It should promote good night’s sleep. At this stage of their life, sleep is absolutely vital for their physical health and also their brain development.

To promote better sleep, use pastel colours such as light blue, green, or even pink against the backdrop of the bed. This will help establish an environment which is calm, restful, and tranquil.

Consider also setting up a theme for the bedroom. This helps ignite the children’s fantasies and stoke their creative interests as they get ready for bed.

Bedroom Activity 2: Play

Play is undeniably a fun activity for children. But it is also important for their social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Play teaches them to interact with the world around them and is their primary method of discovery.

Depending on the bedroom size, parents can incorporate a play area into the bedroom, or place it in an entirely separate area of the house.

Aim for a setting that encourages the children to interact. A study conducted by researches in Sydney revealed that having materials with no ‘fixed purposes’, such as boxes, is an effective way to achieve that.

Unstructured play allows the children to decide for themselves how the materials could be used. You can also create a ‘dramatic play’ area by having props like tables, kitchens, clothes, food, and babies. This offers them a chance to act out their own home and family themes. They can also use props to create a bakery, doctor’s office, fire station, or any other scenario.

Consider also tools for them to engage their artistic nature. A whiteboard can help them scribble while materials for them to paint and sculpt will also come in handy. Art provides opportunities for children to express themselves and develop fine motor skills. Hanging their drawings or paintings on the wall will also create a sense of accomplishment and acknowledgment.

Be sure to involve the children in the process of designing the area and they will likely take ownership of the space, including tidying up after playtime.

Bedroom Activity 3: Tidying Up

Incorporate study areas with storage and shelving in your bedroom design for smarter children — Incorporate storage and shelving in your bedroom design for smarter children

Just like play, tidying up is an informal learning activity for children. Initially, adults should do the organising in this area. After a while, it should be the children’s turn to maintain an order. This will teach them to take responsibility for things, and by tidying up things into storage units, it will develop their motor and social skills.

Optimise the use of the wall by furnishing it with a long, wall-mounted shelving unit. This will be particularly helpful if you have minimal room space. Other than a space for keeping books and materials, they can also be used to place supplies and simple decorations. Boxes and small crates can be stacked on top of each other if you need addition storage.