These 8 Toddler Room Ideas Will Make You Want to Be a Kid Again

When designing a bedroom or play space for your growing child, let your imagination run wild to encourage learning and curiosity.

From indoor tree houses to secret passageways, we take a look at eight creative, quirky toddler room ideas that will delight your little one.

1. Bed and Playhouse Volume 

In her kid-friendly home in New Zealand, architect Bergendy Cooke created a bedroom for her two daughters with a wooden bunk bed and playhouse volume that’s placed near a fully glazed wall that looks out to green fields and trees. 

The combination bunk bed and playhouse is another whimsical gesture the architect designed specifically for her two daughters. The spaces are organized in such a way that they can play independently or together.

The combination bunk bed and playhouse is another whimsical gesture the architect designed specifically for her two daughters. The spaces are organized in such a way that they can play independently or together.

2. Tom and Jerry Funhouse

Inspired by the Hanna Barbera cartoon cat and mouse Tom and Jerry, this Thai vacation home near Cham-Am Beach by Bangkok–based studio Onion has interiors designed like a big hunk of cheese with a Möbius strip running through it. The house includes bright blue sleeping nooks and a tunnel that links two sunken wall spaces.

Sleeping nooks look like the grooves in a block of cheese.

Sleeping nooks look like the grooves in a block of cheese.

A passage between the walls is great for hide and seek.

A passage between the walls is great for hide and seek.

3. Treehouse, Rocket, and Train

When designing his Wicker Park triplex in Chicago, Brian Littleton thought of his niece and nephew who lived close by and visited often, and included a fantastical indoor tree house, an imaginary rocket ship, and an electric train set.

Brian Littleton isn’t a dad, but he may be the world’s coolest uncle. His brother’s kids come over to play in the indoor tree house, take his model trains for a spin, or just curl up on the Fatboy beanbag chairs.

Brian Littleton isn’t a dad, but he may be the world’s coolest uncle. His brother’s kids come over to play in the indoor tree house, take his model trains for a spin, or just curl up on the Fatboy beanbag chairs.

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4. Secret Hideout Under the Bed

This San Diego surf shack has a half pipe and tepee in the backyard, and a custom-made toddler bed by dad Dusty Wheeler, which has a secret hiding spot underneath.

Before Gram's little sister arrived, Dusty built him this custom bed to help him let go of the crib. In addition to the slide, there's a secret hideout.

Before Gram's little sister arrived, Dusty built him this custom bed to help him let go of the crib. In addition to the slide, there's a secret hideout.

The teepee is also handmade, and reflective of the earthy, bohemian, and yet kid-friendly style the Wheelers are all about.

The teepee is also handmade, and reflective of the earthy, bohemian, and yet kid-friendly style the Wheelers are all about.

5. Climbing Wall

Renovated by Kent studio RL-a, the lucky boy living in this British beach town cottage has his own bedroom with a climbing wall designed by his mother Natasha Hart.

Stan’s bedroom includes a vintage Habitat Skipper bed by Loïck Peyron and a climbing wall designed by Natasha.

Stan’s bedroom includes a vintage Habitat Skipper bed by Loïck Peyron and a climbing wall designed by Natasha.

6. Secret Door For Siblings

When you’re a kid, your little brother or sister can be annoying, but they’re also often your best playmate too. In his FlatPak prefab home in Minneapolis, architect Charlie Lazor created a secret door to connect his daughter Maeve’s bedroom to her brother Jasper’s.

Jasper and Maeve take five. One of their requests was for their dad to create a secret door to connect their bedrooms together.

Jasper and Maeve take five. One of their requests was for their dad to create a secret door to connect their bedrooms together.

7. Treehouse Play Bunker

Remodeled by architectural designer Ken Tanaka, the Southern Californian home of Japanese-American tastemaker couple Keiko and Takuhiro Shinomoto include a Taku-designed, shingled tree house-like playhouse and bunk bed, where their children can play with friends.

Taku designed a shingled playhouse/bunkbed.

Taku designed a shingled playhouse/bunkbed.

8. Child's Colorful Sleep/Play Room

In this chic loft in Poland by Interiors Factory, a gabled structure serves as a "roof" for a child's bed. There's also a child-sized desk and chair by a window. Bright yellow and pinks and hot air balloon print wallpaper makes this a cheerful and fun space that both child and parent will want to spent plenty of time in.

These 8 Toddler Room Ideas Will Make You Want to Be a Kid Again - Photo 11 of 12 -
These 8 Toddler Room Ideas Will Make You Want to Be a Kid Again - Photo 12 of 12 -
Michele Koh Morollo
Dwell Contributor
Michele Koh Morollo is a journalist who has been writing about design, lifestyle and travel for the last twenty years.

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