One important thing you need to know as a new mom is the ins and outs of the nursery. It’s totally understand that you want to create the perfect nursery. The nursery is more than just a room; it’s a haven where your newborn begins their journey of exploration and discovery. This room is going to eventually become their bedroom, where they’ll plaster their personality and what truly makes them who they are. But until then, your baby needs to learn; they need to develop, and surprisingly, a lot of this happens in the nursery.
Designing a mentally stimulating nursery sets the stage for cognitive development and a thriving environment- something all babies need, but it’s challenging, right? Well, this balance between aesthetics and a proper environment for development definitely needs to be balanced. So, here’s exactly how you can achieve this balance for your little one!
Start Off with Soft Contrasting Colors
While the idea of plastering pastels in your baby’s room might sound good, it’s going to be better if they’re in contracting colors. You might want to consider some black and white images for newborn hung up on the walls, too. This color palette needs to be soft and soothing yet incorporates contrasting elements. In general, high-contrast colors, like black and white or bold patterns help out massively in capturing your newborn’s attention and help stimulate their developing vision. Even though something like black and white can be considered dull or gloomy, having some of it in the space is essentially going to be necessary.
Put Up Some Visual Stimuli
So, you’re going to want to hang up visually engaging items within your baby’s line of sight. Some great ideas can include mobiles, wall decals with simple patterns, or framed artwork featuring high-contrast images (like what was mentioned above); all of these can provide visual stimulation and promote early visual tracking that your baby is going to need.
Make Sure the Toys are Age-Appropriate
So, another thing you’re going to want to think about is the toys themselves; you’ll need to select age-appropriate toys that encourage exploration (and are safe for them). Some great examples would be soft, textured toys with varying shapes and sizes since these tend to provide tactile stimulation. Plus, visually interesting toys with gentle sounds can also capture your baby’s interest.
Get a Reading Nook
While babies can’t read, that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t have a reading nook in their room. Reading to your newborn promotes bonding and lays the foundation for language development. It’s a nice way for them to start picking up on words; it can help with attention, too. So, if you decide to do this (or not), you should look into books that have bold illustrations and simple patterns. Most bookstores, even Amazon, have a pretty large selection of baby books, and some are good for sensory too.
Consider Adding Patterns
While babies can’t read, that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t have a reading nook in their room. Reading to your newborn promotes bonding and lays the foundation for language development. It’s a nice way for them to start picking up on words; it can help with attention, too. So, if you decide to do this (or not), you should look into books that have bold illustrations and simple patterns. Most bookstores, even Amazon, have a pretty large selection of baby books, and some are good for sensory too. And of course, the reading nook needs to be comfortable, so add a good chair for you and a halo bassinet for the little one so you can spend some quality time there together.
