Toddler Bedroom Essentials

It’s true what they say, the nights are long but the years are short. Before you know it your newborn baby is a walking-talking toddler. If you’re anything like me than you weren’t ready for the changes that come with toddlerhood.

So for our daughter’s second birthday, we bought her a “big girl bed” and decided to give her room a mini makeover. At that point, we were tired of her climbing in and out of her crib at night.

But the changes didn’t stop there because at some point they become independent, which means you’ll most likely have to accommodate their newfound freedom with some new furniture.

I’m happy to share my list of essentials every toddler needs with you today. I hope helps you set up your child’s room, budget for their needs, and encourage their development.

Toddler Bedroom Essentials

Toddler Bed – Let’s start with the basics, every child needs a safe and sturdy bed. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy a toddler bed, you could easily transfer to a single or double bed instead. This is what we did because I figured it would be a short time before we would need a bigger bed anyways.

Bed Rail – Speaking of crawling out of cribs, you might want to grab a rail to prevent them from rolling off their new bed. We all know kids like to fall out of things and a bed rail helps everyone a good night’s sleep.

Wide Dresser – I highly suggest that when you are purchasing furniture for the nursery to find a dresser that can also be used in the early days as a changing table. A wide dresser is perfect and has enough room for all their clothes and things as they grow.

Stool – We of course have a love-hate relationship with this stool. I can’t tell you the number of times my husband and I have stubbed our toes or tripped over it at night. It’s just one of those things we have to deal with because our daughter uses it all the time. She can easily use it to help me cook, wash her hands, and reach just about anything. It really is one of the most loved toddler essential we have.

Activity Centre – (I’ll be sharing more about our activity centers soon) We found this little table set a few months ago and it’s been used every day since. It’s perfect for the activities I put together, crafts, and all her art projects. Plus it’s really easy to wipe clean when you’re done.

Book Shelf – We keep our rotating book collection on these pretty acrylic bookshelves from amazon. I also made sure they were at the perfect height for her to grab and read whenever she wants.

Baskets – Want to know my secret for keeping a clean home? we hide all the toys in baskets! I have one in every room except my office (yup, even in the bathroom). It’s where I stash all the toys at the end of the day, and it also makes it easy to sort at the end of each month.

Night Light and sound machine – Regardless if your child is afraid of the dark, having a night light is always a good idea. You never know when they might need to get you or you might need to see them. We use one called Skip Hop Baby Sounds which I’ll link below.

Humidifier – This is a new addition to my toddler bedroom essentials. I started using a humidifier these last few months after my daughter was waking up thirsty and sometimes with a stuffy nose. Sometimes the air is dry especially in the winter months, causing itching, coughing, or even a persistent cough. But adding a humidifier to a toddler’s room can help them sleep and stay asleep longer.

Toddler pillows and blankets – This is why I love Pottery Barn when it comes to finding cute toddler sheet sets. They always have the best selection and I’m always able to find everything I needed there.

Furniture Anchors – Last but definitely not least, these furniture anchors are on ALL of our furniture. I’ve worked in many classrooms as an Early Childhood Educator and I’ve seen too many accidents of furniture falling on top of children. They aren’t the prettiest but they work!

That is all I have for toddler bedroom essentials. I hope this helps narrow down the things you need for changing a nursery to a big kid room.