On Their Level

There are many absolutely adorable pictures of children’s rooms online where there is gorgeous child artwork on the walls.  Often times it is on the top half of the wall so we adult have the best view, but I’d like to show another way of doing a child room.  We read an article in one of my education classes that really opened my eyes to the idea of building a world for our children where they are meant to be members and participate.  One of the ways it is highly encouraged we do that is to put photos and artwork on their eye level, particularly in their own room.

We started this with Little Bird when she was 6 months old.  We hung images and mirrors where she could pull up to see them.  Now that she is off and conquering the world, here is what our home looks like.

Little Bird has images she picked out of a magazine of a dog and a cat that are framed by her table.  She often will point at them and tell me what she knows.  “That’s a cat.  Meow!” or “That’s a dog!  Good boy!”  She also has a blue magnetic tray attached to the other wall so she can play with letters.  It works motor skills and also familiarizes her with shapes.  Eventually, we will only provide her with a few letters  and help her spell simple words.

By her bed is a mirror and an actual original artwork purchased for her by our friend’s the Jechs.  She will tell me that it is a tree and often will say “Look! It’s pretty! Wow!” when she sees it as she wakes up or goes to bed.

Her “dresser” is a toy organizer.  On top are framed pictures of family whom she is learning to name.  She also has a touch lamp that she can use when she gets scared at night. 

In the hallway are a few framed pictures, like this one of a bee on a flower.

In our living room there are a few family pictures at eye level for her.

And now that she has a stool and knows how to use it, she is brushing her own teeth and even dragging the stool to climb up and look at family pictures that are hung so Doc and I can see.