Introducing Plants Into Your Children's Bedrooms

Plants are the best way to introduce nature into your home and are fantastic for blurring the line between indoor and outdoor living. This can be particularly important during the cold winter nights as the longer nights and cooler days can have us all feeling a little blue from time to time.

Plants are also great as they teach us the value of caring for another living organism. They teach us patience, responsibility, and compassion, important lessons to impart to a child. At Capra Designs, we believe it is never too early to teach kids these values by introducing a plant or two into their personal care.

Of course, choosing the right type of plant(s) is an important decision. You want something hardy, preferably low-maintenance, and that is unlikely to cause a mess every time you leave your children alone with it!

Here are a couple of my main tips to consider:

1. Positioning: To save yourself a lot of extra trips with the vacuum cleaner, placing your plant out of the immediate reach of inquisitive little hands is always a good idea. Consider placing your plant pots on a high shelf for the good of both your child's plant and your sanity! Our planters with trays may also be a good idea to catch any excess soil should they go exploring.
   
   Alternatively, hanging pots are great for keeping your plants out of reach and showcasing leafier greenery at the same time. Just make sure they are still getting all the light they require.
   
   
2. Species of plant: It perhaps goes without saying that the best plant for your child’s bedroom is a resilient one. With the best will in the world, the well-being of a little green companion is unlikely to be at the front of many a child’s thoughts at all times. That means you are going to want something that can weather the occasional drought, and potentially even the odd over-watering.
   
   Plants can also have significant benefits beyond introducing a child to personal responsibility. Personally, I like to choose plants with air-purifying qualities for my children and their bedrooms.

With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite plants for a child’s bedroom, all of which look great in both a traditional plant pot or hanging pot:

Devil’s Ivy - Pothos or Devil’s Ivy has a much-deserved reputation as one of the hardiest indoor plants you can find. This has long been a must-have plant in many collections, not only for its ease of care but also the fact its vines can be shaped and trained into all kinds of imaginative shapes - a terrific way for you and your child to spend a wet afternoon! Just note: The leaves of Devil’s Ivy can be an irritant if consumed so be sure to keep away from inquisitive mouths. A hanging indoor planter would be best to keep this plant out of reach and to let the vines flourish.

Spider Plant - Called so for its spider-like appearance, these plants grow quickly in regular moisture and indirect sunlight. They are often favored for their air-purifying qualities and are said to remove dangerous chemicals and carbon monoxide from the surrounding room. Featured here in a large plant pot, their long leaves also make them well-suited to hanging indoor planters.

 

Hoya - The Hoya plant features thick trailing leaves and is traditionally grown as a houseplant. They feature stunning white and pink flowers during bloom that are amongst some of the most unique you will ever find from a regular houseplant.

For my part, it has been an absolute joy to introduce Banjo and Etta to our plants as they grow up. They have noticed the amount of greenery we have all over our home and I am quick to encourage his curious mind, prompting him to gently feel the plants and speak with them in a soothing voice. They have learned to consider them with care and it has instilled in them a gentle approach to other aspects of life too.

Xx - The Capra Designs Team