When you’re planning out your nursery the chances are you are thinking about how to make it a safe and comfortable space for your child. However, it’s possible for a nursery to be so much more than this. You can choose to fill your child’s nursery with items that will actually help their cognitive development, and help them to develop into an intelligent adult with good social skills. Some of the things you can think about are:
Sorting boxes
Most people will have storage bags or boxes in the nursery to help them to keep all of the toys and clothes organized, but they can have another use, too. If you keep them at your child’s level it means that your child will be able to use them to put away toys and get them back out again, which will help to develop their counting, color and sorting skills.
Beanbags
Beanbags are a great educational tool for children in infancy right up to childhood. If you have multiple colored bean bags you can place them in a pattern for an infant to observe, and then slowly move them around. This will help the child with visual attention and tracking.
For toddlers, beanbags are a great thing for them to safely count, sort and carry. You can also use them to help your child learn color recognition. As they get older, your child may enjoy throwing and catching beanbags, which encourages hand-eye coordination.
Reading to your child in a brightly colored bean bag chair is a great way to create a reading routine, as they will not only enjoy sitting on a squishy bean bag but they will learn that the beanbag means that it’s time to hear a story. If you’d like to see a range of beanbag chairs from SumoLounge, click here.
Bookshelves
Be sure to place bookshelves at the right height so that your child can reach them. This will teach them that they can choose a book on their own, and encourage them to read. Placing books out of their reach may send a message that they aren’t allowed to read, which you don’t want.
Your old toys
Be sure to include your own toys in the nursery, if you can. Doing this encourages storytelling, because you can tell your child about how you loved the toy when you were young. You can also ask them to tell these stories back to you.
It’s also great to have toys and games that are different colors and textures, such as wood, as this encourages your child’s ability to describe things.
Their own table
Giving your child a table which is the right height for them is a great way to teach them when it’s time to sit down and be quiet, and when it’s time to run around. Sit them at the table with craft supplies and the knowledge that they are at their table will encourage them to get creative. You can also use their table to teach them to eat at a table, which will benefit them later on.
