Child's Room Lighting Ideas - 12 Powerful Tips for Any Situation

Choosing lighting for a child's room is not an easy task since we must always remember that the appearance of a lighting fixture is not enough. Apart of simply complementing the overall room's theme and being aesthetically attractive, kid's lighting must be functional and safe. There are so many fun ideas for kids' lighting, from spectacular table lamps to tender night lights, from beautiful pendant lights to directional bedside lamps, the choice is almost unlimited.

In this article we've collected the most powerful tips and ideas that will definitely help you choose the perfect lighting for your child's room:

1. Creativity

Find Creative Child's Room Lighting Options on Amazon

As we've already mentioned, lighting source in a kids' room should be practical. But that is not a reason to choose some dull and simple lighting fixture. There are tons of lighting solutions on the market today that can be both practical and entertaining, offering different visual effects. A lot of magical twinkling lights or mysterious glowing fixtures can be bought on various marketplaces like Amazon, Ebay, Wallmart, or in your local stores. Just try to be as unique and creative as possible and have fun while choosing lighting for your child's room.

2. Safety

Being creative doesn't mean that we should forget about safety of kids' room lighting. There are a few basic safety requirements to bear in mind. First, take care about all of the socket outlets within a child's reach. Use plug covers to prevent little fingers get into the outlet yet remember that some kids are strong and can pull the cover out, so choose the large ones because they cannot be swallowed.

Second, take care of the cords. Small children can chew loose cords and cables which is obviously very dangerous. They can also play with cords and wrap them around their necks. So it is vital to place the cords out of kids' reach, for example using some kind of cable organizer or attaching the cord to a baseboard.

Another hazard for little ones is heat generated by the bulbs. Remember that incandescent bulbs produce much more heat than LED or even fluorescent lights, so the choice of the lighting source for the kids' room is obvious. And of course LED lights will save the consumed electric energy and cut your energy bills. But even the LED light bulbs should be placed as far from the reach of children as possible since they are hot too, just not as hot as incandescent bulbs. Your baby won't be happy if he or she touches any type of lighting source, so choose the place carefully.

Safe Child Bedroom Lighting on Amazon

Finally, if you plan to buy your toddler a table lamp, you'd better think twice. A small child can knock or pull down any table lamp and seriously hurt him- or herself. So if you can replace a table lamp with something more secure, do so without a doubt.

3. Make your lighting options varied

It is always great to have a lot of different lighting options in a child's room.

Of course you'll need a ceiling light to keep the room illuminated in the evening.

For babies and toddlers think about the night light. Small children are usually afraid of the dark so the night light is a must for any parent. You may choose from the battery-powered night lamps and plug-in fixtures. If you go with the battery-operated lights, make sure that the battery will last all night. And if you buy the pluggable version, remember to take care of the cords, as mentioned above.

For older children, choose some kind of a task light, for example a desk lamp for doing homework in their room.

And surely you'll need a reading lamp for one of the most exciting part of a youngster's life: reading tales and stories to your little one. You may also need some lighting sources to have a party in the kids' room. Read more about children's party lighting in this article.

4. Do Not Choose Harsh Lighting

Remember that the eyes of a small child are not fully developed so they need more rest than the eyes of a grown-up. Go with some soft lighting options: this type of lighting will minimize the irritating contrast between the light and the dark. Moreover, this lovely soft glow will make the room feel cozy and warm.

Child Bedroom Lighting Options on Amazon

Try not to buy any type of bright lights like exposed lighting bulbs or halogen lights. Such fixtures may be harmful for child's eyes and may even cause anxiety. They are usually very hot so this can be a problem too. Look for the diffused or shaded light sources instead. The lights with "daylight" or "soft white" markings will also do.

5. Take into account the child's point of view

Choose Child Bedroom Lighting on Amazon

Remember that children, especially little ones, are much smaller than you so the room's lighting might be less attractive from their perspective. For example you love some pendant lights with bowl shades and can imagine how beautiful they will be in your kid's room. But from the child's point of view they might be less pleasing since the kid will see them from below.

6. Pay Special Attention to the Room's Size

Child's Room Lighting - Amazon Bestsellers

This is a simple moment but people often forget about it. Take another look at your child's room and think about its size. Large lighting fixtures in a small room will definitely feel cluttered. In this case you should better opt for some smaller lights that won't stand out too much.

Of course the larger the room the more choices you have to create an attractive and entertaining lighting scheme for your kid. The extra large room will demand some kind of a statement from your lighting fixture so don't be afraid to experiment.

You may want to divide the large room into different zones and that's where the lighting will come in handy. This method works well with any large living space but in case of a child's room it might be especially effective. Create these zones with pendant lights, wall lights, track lights, or recessed lighting. Make the room playful and exciting for your little one!

7. DO NOT Use Floor Lamps

This is also an obvious moment which people, however, usually ignore. Don't make this mistake and refuse from the idea of buying a floor lamp into a kid's room. A crawling toddler will definitely knock the lamp over at the same moment as you turn away. And when kids grow up and start to walk, they may grab the floor lamp to use it as a support. And of course when they grow up a bit more they start to run all over the room, and this is like a small hurricane which your table lamp won't survive. So better give up this bad idea and opt for ceiling or wall lights instead.

8. Use a Ceiling Fan with Light

There are a lot of advantages in using a combined ceiling fan with light fixture. In addition to its obvious use in summer, ceiling fan can be also effective in winter. In cold days a warm air rises up to the ceiling while the cold goes down. A ceiling fan can push this warm air down making your energy management more effective.

Ceiling Fan with Light - Find the Fun Option for Your Child

A good idea is to buy a fan with blades painted in different colors (or to paint them by yourself). When the fan operates at slow speeds, such multicolored blades will create a nice visual effect and entertain a youngster. And even the monochrome fan can give a relaxing effect on a child while moving.

9. Choose the Night Lights Wisely

Night Lights on Amazon - compare prices

Small children are afraid of the dark. This is normal but it doesn't mean that the parents shouldn't help their kids sleep peacefully. The proper night light with a low wattage is a must-have item for any parent. It should not be bright and must give a subtle yet pleasing glow to a bedroom. There are tons of original and fun night lights on the market these days, all you need is a bit of creativity and some spare time to choose the nicest option for your baby.

Night Lights for Kids on Amazon

A battery powered lamp can be a good solution, just remember that the battery should keep the light on until morning if your child needs this. Yet if he or she doesn't want the light to be on all night, go with the timer-controlled night lamp.

A touch-lamp is a great option for an older child: it will let the kid turn it on and off at will.

10. Consider the Reading Light Option

All the parents know that kids love listening to bedtime stories before sleep. And there is nothing better than reading a wonderful fairy tale to a young one at night. To do this, you will need a suitable reading light. The lamp should generate a bright but focused light stream which will be aimed precisely at the book. But make sure that the direct rays of light do not fall on the face of the child.

11. Use Dimmable Lighting

Your child can get easily used to fall asleep at the same time each day if you use dimmable room lighting on a daily basis. The tranquil ambience will act like a trigger to a child's body, giving him or her a signal that it's time to sleep. A dimmer is great if you need to change the diaper or feed a baby late at night. Subdued light allows you to keep a baby in a sleepy state while performing this procedure. A dimmer is also useful if you need to get into the nursery for some reason late at night and not wake the baby.

12. Choose the Fun Lighting for Your Child

Kid's Fun Lighting

Safety and practicality are surely the main concerns while choosing the lighting for the child's room. But kids will be kids so you should never forget about fun.

There is a wide range of various fascinating lighting options out there. The lights may be manufactured in a form of various creatures, from animals to Disney characters, from comic book heroes to fairy tale creatures. The choice is literally unlimited.

Find Fun Lighting for Children's Room on Amazon

However, not only the lamp's shape can be fun. Colored splashes of soft lights on the room's wall are fun, but they also stimulate brain activity in small children helping them experience movement and color for proper brain development.

Fun Lighting for Children's Room: Amazon Bestsellers