Tree House Theme

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 💬 Vocabulary & Self-Expression — Explaining decorating choices — why this color, why this placement, what the arrangement is meant to convey — develops descriptive language, aesthetic vocabulary, and the confidence to articulate personal preferences.
• 🎨 Aesthetic Sense & Design — Making decisions about color, placement, and composition develops aesthetic intelligence — the ability to create visually pleasing arrangements — that connects to art, design, and the appreciation of beauty across all domains.
• 📐 Spatial Reasoning — Deciding where things go, how they fit together, and how to use available space develops spatial reasoning — the mental visualization and spatial planning that geometry, architecture, and physical design require.
• 🎯 Planning & Visualization — Imagining how a decorated space will look before starting and executing that vision develops planning and visualization skills — the mental projection that design thinking, project management, and creative problem solving require.
• 🌿 Environmental Stewardship — Using natural or recycled materials in decorating builds awareness that beautiful things don't require purchases — and that the natural world offers abundant creative materials that connecting to it reveals.

What little boy wouldn’t want to sleep in his very own tree house every night? It is easier than you think to create this fun bedroom theme.

Step One: Paint the Walls

Paint the walls with a medium to light blue color for the base coat. 

 

Step Two: Create the Sky

To create depth in your “sky,” mix a lighter shade of blue paint with a glazing liquid. The more glazing liquid you use, the more translucent the effect will be. Using a sea sponge (I don’t recommend using household sponges; it is hard to create a natural looking finish) cover the entire wall with your paint glaze. Start at the top and work your way down. Every few minutes stand back to make sure all areas are receiving the same amount of coverage. Let dry and add touch-ups if needed. 

 

Step Three: Add a Focal Point

Using a store bought mural, rub-on mural, or paint-by-number mural, (or create your own by hand, if you feel artistic enough) add a tree in one area of the room. It should go the entire height of the wall. Extend the tree branches to the ceiling, if possible. Depending on the degree of detail you want, stamp or stencil leaves, acorns, fruit, birds, or anything else you would find in a tree. 

 

Step Four: Add the Details

Add white clouds around the room and stamp or stencil birds, dragonflies, ladybugs, even airplanes, if you would like.

 

Step Five: Add the Grass Border

Using a rub-on mural, stencil, or wallies mural, add a grass border along the mopboard. You can also stamp or stencil on more bugs, flowers or small animals.

 

Step Six: Bedding and Window Treatments

Choose nature themed bedding, or simple plaids in a coordinating color to compliment your tree house theme.

For window treatments try covering a plain valance with fake green leaves, and pair it with simple sheers or mini-blinds.

 

Step Seven: Add the Accessories

There are unlimited ideas for this theme! Here are a few:

-Add silk plants and trees, bringing more of the outdoors. 

-Display your preschooler’s collection of stuffed animals in a prominent area; after all, you are “outside.”

-Add theme dresser knobs to existing dressers.

-Decoupage animal & nature cutouts to dressers, play tables, or bedside tables.

-Cover a plain lampshade with faux leaves.

Functional Considerations for Children's Window Treatments

Beyond aesthetics, window treatments in a preschooler's room serve important practical functions. Light control is the most critical: preschoolers who nap and sleep better in a darkened room benefit enormously from blackout or room-darkening options, even behind a decorative treatment. Look for cellular shades or blackout roller shades that can be layered with a decorative panel for the best of both worlds.

Safety is equally important. Avoid long cords entirely in any room where a young child spends time — cordless lift systems and motorized options are now widely available at every price point. Tie-back cords should be secured with breakaway safety tassels as a minimum precaution.

Involving Your Preschooler in the Process

One of the most valuable things about decorating a preschooler's room — and one of the most overlooked — is the opportunity to involve your child in the decisions. Even a two-year-old can point to a color swatch they prefer, choose between two fabric options, or decide where their stuffed animals will live. This participation builds ownership, autonomy, and genuine pride in their space.

Children who have contributed to their environment are more likely to respect and care for it. "We chose this together" is a powerful message about a child's value and voice in the family. It also makes the room genuinely theirs in a way that an adult-designed space, however beautiful, never quite can be.

Practical Tips for Preschool Room Design

• Paint smart. Semi-gloss or satin finishes are far more washable than flat paint — an important consideration in a preschooler's room. Test colors in the actual room at different times of day before committing.
• Think in layers. The most flexible rooms use a neutral base (walls, large furniture) with personality added through easily swapped textiles, art, and accessories — elements you can update as your child grows and interests change without repainting.
• Prioritize the floor. Preschoolers live on the floor. A soft, washable area rug defines the play space and adds warmth and color without the commitment of wall color.
• Light at child height. A small lamp at floor or low table level, in addition to overhead lighting, creates cozy pools of light perfect for reading and quiet play.
• Display their art. A simple clipline or magnetic board where your preschooler's artwork is regularly displayed communicates that their creativity has real value.