When your little one grows big enough to move into their own bedroom, it’s a big deal for all of you. And when they start to outgrow their toddler bedroom, there can be another adjustment period as they transition to a child’s bedroom that’s suitable for someone a little bit older.
Data from the Sleep Foundation shows that one-third of children are ready to move into a bed between the ages of 18 months and 2 years, with most sleeping in a bed by the age of 3. But by the time they’ve started school and begun to develop their own interests, it’s likely that they’ll be more than ready for a slightly more grown-up bedroom.
It can be emotional papering over the nursery wallpaper you chose when you were expecting, but there comes a time when it’s right to let them make their mark with a child’s bedroom that’s a little more grown-up. It’s time to ditch the babyish pastel-coloured wallpaper or cute safari animal designs and create a child’s bedroom that reflects their evolving interests.
Here are 10 different ways to use fun children’s wallpaper to transform the nursery into an older child’s bedroom:
1. Dinosaur Discovery Bedroom
If your little one is fascinated by dinosaurs, then decorating with fun dinosaur wallpaper is a must. We love A.S. Creation’s Dinosaur Pattern Jurassic Raptor Children’s Wallpaper (£11 per roll), which features the names of the different dinosaurs for a fun but educational element.
Lean into this theme and encourage your child to collect rocks when you’re out and about to place on a shelf to create their very own Jurassic landscape – they’ll be ideal for acting out prehistoric-inspired scenes with their favourite dinosaur toys.
Depending on your child’s age, you also might want to consider giving them responsibility for watering a small, low-maintenance house plant or cacti in their room to add another element to their little Jurassic landscape. Complete the look with dinosaur bedding, and you’ll have the ultimate dinosaur discovery room.
2. Rainbow Unicorn Dream
Create a rainbow unicorn dream paradise with the Holden Unicorns Pattern Children’s Pink Wallpaper (£13 per roll), which features a touch of sparkle and is the perfect choice for lovers of pink, rainbows, and unicorns.
Paper the whole of a child’s bedroom with this fun glitter unicorn wallpaper or leave one wall blank and paint a rainbow wall mural on it to create a feature wall for a unique take on this theme. If your little one is artistic, get them to help you with the painting – they’ll love getting involved and sleeping in a room they’ve painted themselves every night.
Other ways to bring this theme to a child’s bedroom include:
- Go for rainbow or unicorn-patterned bedding and cushions – as this children’s wallpaper features multiple motifs, you’ve got different options when one set of bedding is in the wash
- Put up some rainbow-coloured fairy lights for an extra fun touch
- Pass on your My Little Pony collection or look for second-hand figures online to bring a retro touch to the room
- You could also opt for the Arthouse Rainbow Unicorn Pattern Children’s White Wallpaper (£14 per roll) or Arthouse Unicorn Collage Pattern Multi Coloured Wallpaper (£14 per roll), which also features inspirational quotes
3. Magical Harry Potter Bedroom Wallpaper
For the wannabe witch or wizard, decorating their room with Harry Potter wallpaper is the obvious choice, and this Mischief Management Parchment Themed Glow in the Dark Wallpaper (£15 per roll) is a fun choice, inspired by the Marauder’s Map. The glow in the dark element brings a truly magical feel to a child’s bedroom, making it ideal for kids who don’t like a totally pitch black room as they fall asleep.
Alternatively, create a feature wall with the Harry Potter Daily Prophet Newspaper Wizard Poster Mono Wallpaper (£14 per roll), a busy pattern that might be a little too much on all four walls.
More ways to take inspiration from the Harry Potter series in a child’s bedroom include:
- Team the wallpaper with some Harry Potter bedding and an owl soft toy
- Stick up a poster for one of the films
- Print out their very own Hogwarts letter to frame and put on the wall
- Hang their cloak and wizard’s hat behind the door
- Make sure they’ve got a set of the Harry Potter books to delve into whenever they need some escapism and to help develop their reading skills
- Treat them to their very own magic wand or box of tricks
4. Space Exploration Bedroom Wallpaper
Space exploration has fascinated little ones for decades and it makes a brilliant theme for a child’s bedroom. The Holden Decor Intergalactic Stars Pattern Children’s Wallpaper (£13 per roll) is a great space-themed wallpaper with its design of astronauts, satellites, and galaxies on a dark background. Go all out with the space exploration theme and decorate the rest of the bedroom with:
- Glow in the dark stars on the ceiling
- Star-shaped fairy lights
- Constellation posters – you could even try mapping out some of the constellations with those glow in the dark ceiling stars
- A mini model of the solar system to help your little one learn even more about the universe
- A round, white night light to mimic the moon
- A telescope by the window for stargazing on clear nights
5. L.O.L. Dolls Bedroom Wallpaper
L.O.L. Dolls have been a huge trend in the last few years, so if you’ve got a little one who’s crazy for these dolls, our L.O.L. Surprise Dolls Children’s Wallpaper (£10 per roll) is the perfect choice for their bedroom. Ideal for a bedroom that’s already got a lot of pink in it, this wallpaper will look fabulous with matching L.O.L. Dolls bedding and other accessories.
If you’re worried they might grow out of the phase soon, use the wallpaper on just one feature wall. In the meantime, make sure they’ve got plenty of dolls, accessories, and a doll’s house to play with and let their imagination run free.
6. Football-Mad Bedroom
If your kid can’t get enough of football, getting to sleep in their very own football-themed room every night can be a dream come true. The Arthouse Football Goal Mono Black & White Children’s Wallpaper (£13 per roll) is a great option for a football-inspired feature wall or even a whole bedroom, depending on how football-mad they are!
Other ways to create a football-inspired child’s bedroom include:
- Stick up posters of their favourite players
- If there’s a football shirt they’ve grown out of, frame it and hang it on the wall
- Pin their team scarf above the headboard
- Put up a wall chart where they can keep track of their league’s performance throughout the season, or for any big tournaments
7. Lolli-Pop Of Colour
If you don’t want to go for a theme inspired by a current hobby or favourite film, opt for something that’s fun, bright, and colourful instead, like the Holden Lollipops Pattern Children’s Multi Coloured Ice Cream Wallpaper (£13 per roll). This wallpaper has a cream background with colourful illustrations of ice creams and ice lollies to bring a touch of summer to a child’s bedroom all year round.
Continue the ice cream theme throughout the room with:
- A play kitchen where they can dream up their own creations
- Some children’s recipe books to inspire their creativity further
- An ice cream-shaped cushion
- Plastic cups and plates so they can host their own tea party or teddy bear’s picnic
- Holiday or summer-inspired art prints for the walls to create a contrast with the wallpaper
- Colourful bunting to add to the summer holiday feel
8. Superhero-Themed Children’s Bedroom
Superheroes have been capturing children’s imaginations for decades, whether in colourful comic book strips or in big-screen action movies. Let their favourite heroes and villains take centre stage on their walls with the Muriva Marvel Avengers Comic Book Strip Heroes Wallpaper (£14 per roll). This superhero wallpaper features the likes of Thor, Black Widow, Spiderman, Captain America, and the Incredible Hulk.
Here are some ideas for carrying the superhero theme throughout their bedroom:
- Place some retro comic books or their first introduction to graphic novels on their bookshelf
- Stick up a poster from the latest blockbuster action movie – this can easily be switched up when the next big film is released
- Make sure they’ve got plenty of superhero action figures to encourage imaginative play
- Hang a couple of fancy dress outfits in their wardrobe to inspire their play even further
9. Little Dancer’s Room
If you live with a budding ballerina, a dance-inspired room makes an incredibly special children’s bedroom. The Arthouse Pirouette Ballet Dancer Pattern Metallic Glitter Pink Wallpaper (£14 per roll) features sheet music and elegant ballerinas, making it the perfect choice for little dancers.
Complete this children’s bedroom theme with:
- A wardrobe full of tutus, ballet pumps, and hair ribbons
- Velvet coat hangers to hang their best outfits on
- A ballet barre fixed to one wall, and a full-length mirror where they can practise their steps and twirls
- Plenty of pink soft furnishings
- A copy of the much-loved classic Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild on their bookshelf
- Add an extra touch of luxury to their room with a chandelier-inspired light fitting
10. Under The Sea Bedroom Wallpaper
Upgrade the nursery to an under the sea-inspired child’s bedroom with the Arthouse Mermazing Scales Glitter Turquoise Ice Blue Wallpaper (£15 per roll), which features hints of glitter, pale blue, mint green, pink, and lilac, making it incredibly versatile when it comes to matching soft furnishings.
Other mermaid wallpapers in our collection include the Arthouse Mermaid World Pattern Children’s Teal Wallpaper (£14 per roll) and the A.S. Creation Mermaid Pattern Princess Children’s Wallpaper (£11 per roll), so there’s something to suit every style.
Add the following finishing touches to complete a mermaid-inspired children’s bedroom:
- A mermaid tail blanket for them to snuggle up in
- An under the sea mural painted behind their headboard, tying in with the mermaid wallpaper on the other walls
- Place a few fish, crab, or lobster-shaped soft toys on their bed
- Encourage them to collect shells on your next visit to the beach to place on their shelves or window sill
- A star-shaped rug to give the impression of a starfish on their very own seabed, or bedroom floor
- Depending on their age, they may be ready to look after a goldfish in their bedroom, adding another element to the under the sea theme
More Children’s Wallpaper Inspiration
Our collection of wallpaper for kids’ bedrooms also includes Disney wallpaper and Star Wars wallpaper, so there’s something for every child’s interests. If you’re looking for wallpaper for teenagers, we’ve also got some seriously cool graffiti designs, such as the P&S International Graffiti Motif Brick Wall Pattern Urban Children’s Wallpaper (£12 per roll).
And if you’re not sure about papering every wall in a child’s bedroom, check out our collection of wall murals, which are a less of a commitment, but can still be a great way to add a touch of personality to a kid’s room.
Browse our full collection of children’s wallpaper, or contact us here if you have any questions about our designs.