Whether you are expecting a baby or have young children, creating a kid-friendly haven at home is crucial for providing a safe and fun space where they can explore and grow. Home improvements and renovations can be pricey, but a good home environment shouldn’t be a luxury. That’s why we want to show you some simple and affordable changes that can make a big difference.

From vibrant wall colors in the playroom to creative hopscotch paths in the garden, there are countless ways to use paint to make your home more engaging and enjoyable for your children. With a few creative ideas and a bit of effort, you can turn your living space into an exciting and nurturing environment that encourages imagination and play.

In this article, we’ll explore how you can transform your home and garden into a playful paradise using interior and exterior paint. Let’s dive in and discover the fun and cost-effective possibilities that interior and exterior paint can offer!

Inside the Home

Interior paint is a great way to spruce up walls in the home by injecting a dose of colour or art. Here are our suggestions for some ways to liven up specific rooms in the house using interior paint.

The Nursery or Children’s Bedrooms

A nursery or child’s bedroom is arguably the most important room for a child, providing a safe space to sleep. If you have a limited budget, focus on transforming your child’s bedroom with interior paint. The bedroom should remain a calm, relaxing space to promote restful and peaceful sleep, so it’s best to avoid bright clashing colours and opt for cool natural tones.

When you find out a child is on the way, one of the key nesting urges is to paint the nursery. Traditionally, families would paint the nursery a pale shade of pink or blue, depending on the gender of the baby they were expecting. Nowadays, with changing gender stereotypes, there are no limits to the colours you can choose.

The way you paint your child’s bedroom depends on a few factors – your timescale, artistic skills and how long you want the room to last. If you want the bedroom decor to last several years, avoid specific themes like dinosaurs or princesses, which children might grow out of and want to change after a short period of time.

For the Budding Artist

If you fancy yourself a budding artist, be bold and attempt a creative design. Begin with the base coat in a neutral colour of your choice. A pale green is a good gender-neutral colour suitable for any future children, regardless of gender.

Once the base coat is complete, consider adding some fun designs such as plants, animals, or shapes. We recommend repeating these patterns on one wall in small sizes so they are visually appealing yet subtle. Don’t worry if you make mistakes; you can tidy them up with the base coat colour once your design is completed and dried.

The Playroom

The playroom has more scope for originality and vibrance. Since the playroom is where early development is encouraged through play, this room should be decorated to be fun and inviting for children. Depending on the age of your child, you could decorate the playroom with a theme which interests them, such as space, the jungle or a fairytale castle.

Start by painting the wall with the base colour. For a space theme, this might be grey or for a fairytale castle, it may be a light blue to mimic the sky. Once you have the background ready, it’s time to get started on the main design.

The complexity of the design you choose depends on your artistic mastery. The complexity of the design you choose depends on your artistic skill. However, don’t worry if you lack artistic experience – there are many options suitable for all skill levels.

For the Pro Painter

For those who enjoy painting, regularly engage in artistic projects and don’t find the idea of painting a mural daunting, go for it! Do some research, let your imagination run wild and see what creation you come up with.

For the Semi-pro Artist

If you want to create something yourself but don’t have the steadiest hand or much time to complete the project, stencils are a great option. By printing off and cutting out the images you want to paint, you can create a stencil as a guide to make the painting process easier.

For the Novice

If art isn’t your forte, there are many other ways to create a kid-friendly room without painting. Wall stickers featuring scenery, animals, or fictional characters are a great way to add creativity and stimulate your child’s imagination.

In the Garden

A garden can be an oasis of nature, but if gardening and landscaping aren’t for you, there are many other ways to make your garden a fun space for children to play in. Exterior paint is highly resistant to colour fading and the elements, giving it great staying power. Here’s how you can use exterior paint in the garden:

Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a fun game that has stood the test of time, remaining popular in school playgrounds and parks. Playing hopscotch with your children is a great way to connect with them while reliving your youth.

If you don’t want to paint directly onto decking or patios, as exterior paint is permanent and can’t be removed once applied, you can create a hopscotch path without causing permanent damage. Invest in individual paving stones and arrange them on grass or a flat surface in your desired pattern.

Once the paving slabs are in place, they can be decorated. You can start with a plain colour, painting each slab a different hue, or leave the stone unpainted as the base. Then, use exterior paint to add numbers and small designs like flowers.

A Playhouse

Whether you have a wooden playhouse or a garden shed, a lick of paint can go a long way in revamping its appearance and transforming it into a magical play space.

Before painting the playhouse or garden shed, begin by gently cleaning it with a wet cloth to remove any dirt or dust that could make the paint look patchy. Tape any areas you don’t want to be painted, such as windows or areas you wish to paint in a different colour.

Paint the edges using a small edging paintbrush to get in all the nooks and crannies. Evenly distribute the exterior paint on a larger paintbrush and apply it to the garden shed following the grain of the wood. If you don’t follow the grain of the wood, the finish will look rough and incomplete.

Repeat the process to add a second coat of paint to the garden shed and add any unique designs or features you may like, such as a different colour roof to represent roof tiles or brightly coloured window frames to add character.

Exterior Walls

Drab or lacklustre exterior walls are the perfect canvas for a family-friendly painting project. Finger painting and hand painting are fun activities the whole family can get involved with, regardless of age, and will create a memorable experience which can be revisited every time you step into the garden.

Fingers and hands can be positioned into different shapes to create shapes and animals for printing. For example, by painting both hands and placing the wrists and thumbs together, then pressing them against the wall, you can create the shape of a butterfly. Once dry, intricate wing details can be painted onto the butterfly. Alternatively, you can paint the hand like a canvas, with different colours and patterns, before printing it against the wall to create a rainbow effect.

Hales Sawmills

At Hales Sawmills, we are a family-owned business based in the heart of Shropshire. During our 40 years of operation, we have established ourselves as Shropshire’s biggest DIY, garden and timber specialist. In the spring of 2023, we opened a new branch in Shrewsbury.

We offer an extensive range of painting and decorating tools and accessories, from paintbrushes to interior paint and exterior paint. We also stock many garden and timber products, including playhouses and garden sheds.

Whether you wish to visit one of our two retail stores in Shropshire or browse our product ranges online, we have everything you need to transform your home and garden into a child’s paradise.

For more information about our range of products, get in touch with our team today.