Did you know that colour forms an important part of your child’s cognitive development? Especially in the first 3-5 years of their lives. In great news, there is easy steps you can implement when decorating their nursery and bedroom to help stimulate this!

Developmental Stages

0-3 Months

From the moment they are born babies brains are like sponges. They are constantly absorbing all of their surrounding environment and information, 80% of which comes in the form of visual stimulation. So by providing them with a high level of visual stimulation you can encourage their mental development. In the first 3 months of a babies life, research indicates they can only see primarily in shades of black, white and grey. They will focus more on high contrast images than anything else. So does this mean you have to throw out your whole design plan for the nursery? No – don’t stress! Just be sure to add a variety of patterns and contrasts which will give them visual stimulation and encourage their learning process.  Or why not embrace the monochrome theme and add in some pops of colour later on?

3-6 Months

At this age research indicates your little one will be able to see colours. They will have a preference for bright primary colours which again helps stimulate their brain. By starting with a monochrome/neutral base to the nursery it is easy to now add pops of colour to the room through decor pieces, eg: cushions, linen, wall art, etc.

6-12 Months

Between 6-8 months your child’s colour recognition is developing well. This is a great time to start introducing more colours/a different colour scheme into their nursery. This doesn’t mean you have to completely redo the room. This can be easily achieved by adding some of their toys and books into the room, some more decor pieces or even something as simple as moving the furniture eg: their cot around so they have a different perspective to look at things from. You can also begin to expose them to different shades/hues of the same colour eg: dusty pink, baby pink, etc. This can be achieved again through wallpaper/decals, cushions, linen, etc.

1-2 Years 

It is around 18 months of age that your child can begin to differentiate between colours. As this quite often coincides with a similar time you might be upgrading them from a cot to a big kids bed it serves as the ideal time to update either their bedroom/playroom with a theme they show a preference towards. Make it fun and vibrant but most of all developmentally appropriate. Need some tips on creating a space for them? Check out this blog post 

3-4 Years 

Research indicates that by roughly 3-4 years of age your child can begin to recognise and name basic colours. Placing different coloured items around their bedroom/playroom gives you the opportunity to help them strengthen their colour recognition skills. Just add different coloured toys, books, decor items, etc. and point them out to your child, eg: pink cushion, throw me the green ball. 

5+ Years 

At this age your child truly begins to develop their own individual personality. As part of their development they will begin to have a preference for certain colours. As part of their creative expression now is a great time to provide them with a space that reflects their developing personality. If you think it is an interest that will pass quickly use a neutral base palette and then add pops of colour in through your soft furnishing, toys, etc. That way it can be designed as a room to last and can be easily changed when needs change without having to rip everything out.

So there you have it! Colour surrounds you everyday and subconsciously has an impact on so many things in your life so it’s good to remember how important it is in regards to your child’s development. 

Emma x

Image Credits

Main Image: @woodlandends