Coming up with creative kids’ bedroom design ideas can be overwhelming. But if you’re the parent, grandparent, fun aunt or uncle, or grown-up friend who values family travel, world news, family heritage, environmental awareness, and cultural understanding, you want to immerse kids in this big, beautiful world every day. It’s easy with these travel-themed bedroom ideas so your little globetrotters will be surrounded by international inspiration from the comfort of their own room.
Putting your world adventures bedroom together is easier than you think. Put your passports away. You won’t need them when you travel to distant lands from home with these travel-themed bedroom ideas.
Travel themes with kid appeal
1. Choose your dream travel destination.
Simply pick a country and go with it. Consider a place you’ve been to before and can’t wait to get back to, a country you’re dying to visit, or a country related to your family’s heritage. You can even play a version of pin the tail on the donkey with a kid’s world map, and a sticker. Don’t forget the blindfold! Whatever your reason for choosing it, there are so many ways to bring your favorite country into your décor.
Keep it kid-friendly when you start with stuffed animals from that area. If Egypt is your go-to country, look for stuffed camels and horses to take up residence in the room. If China is what you’ve picked, pandas in all colors and sizes should do the trick (bonus points if you can find a stuffed macaque).
Honor global artists and craftspeople by buying authentic décor directly from the artist. Consider prints, paintings, rugs, textiles (knitted, sewn, felted, etc), carved wood, metal, and even furniture.
Find a Fair Trade shop near you for an outing that’s both productive and a cultural experience. Even easier, Etsy sells directly from the artist to you, so you can connect with someone across the globe, flex your social responsibility muscles, and bring authentic charm to your child’s bedroom.
Textiles closer to home are another way to find global inspiration. Look for colors and patterns that will brighten the space and reflect the culture of the country you’ve selected. Try textiles from One Kings Lane if Japan, Peru, or Uzbekistan made it to the top of your list. Colorful Mexican embroidery or even a traditional Scottish tartan are other patterns that are fun and fit right into a kid’s room.
Highlighting famous people, sights, or animals from that country is another easy decorating option. Framed pictures of inspiring inventors, makers, and global leaders will surround your kids with big ideas, as will photos of faraway castles, towering skyscrapers, or iconic structures that will have them dreaming of other lands. The Great Wall of China, the Sydney Opera House, the Taj Mahal, and Machu Picchu come to mind. Every country has at least one. Make sure to include it in your décor.
Celebrate art from artists from that country. Try Etsy with the search “(country) art”.
2. Go with global music.
Music is universal and a great way for kids to connect to another country or culture. Amp up your travel-themed bedroom when you include instruments from around the world. Use guitar hangers to hang up a Flamenco guitar, a zither or a shaisan. Set out drums your kids can play like bongos or djembe, or make a Peruvian Siku flute that doubles as a toy. Pictures of world instruments or album covers from global artists make great framed wall art in an older kid’s room. Or you can get doubly creative when you print out lyrics from your favorite global tunes (do Gangnam Style and Despacito count?) and frame them too.
3. Create a world of wonders.
Cast a wider net, focusing on the Wonders of the World (whether the ancient, classic or other more recent lists of wonders as décor for your child’s room. However you include these elements, they’re sure to inspire curiosity about the world and bring it closer to home. Starting with iconic spots like The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, or the Tower Bridge (in London) makes things simple because there are so many chic décor options out there.
To add 3D décor you can build it together with colorful LEGO architecture sets, 4D Cityscapes puzzles, or travel posters that really pop. The sky’s the limit when you focus your décor around these intriguing and mysterious places.
4. Go wild for world animals.
Because kids love animals, it’s an easy win to focus on your favorite furry, feathered, and scary wildlife from around the globe. Choose an animal type (e.g. reptiles), continent (e.g. Europe), or biome (e.g. savannah) to narrow down your options and let the search begin.
To get started on a global adventure, mark the animals in their native countries on your new kids’ world map with the included reusable stickers or erasable marker—alpacas in South America, zebras in Africa, and koalas in Australia. Then the map is ready for anything you’re learning about (history, news, weather, art, etc). You can even take it from the wall, fold it up, and take it along on outings or travel.
Easy-to-install wall decals are another simple way to transform your kid’s room into a menagerie, whether they love sloths, sharks, or lucky cats from China. The best thing about this theme is that it’s so easy to find animal-themed goodies. Bedding, mobiles, even bookcases come in animal designs. Figure out what animals your kid loves most and run with it. And, don’t forget the stuffed animals! Place them on the bed, on bookcases or on shelves to keep your globetrotter company.
5. Recreate a region.
While recreating the Rainforest Café might be overkill, following their lead can help you design an engaging travel-themed room for your child. Choose a world habitat, like a jungle, desert, mountains, or the Amazon, and go wild bringing it to life in your space. Color the walls to match the environment to start. Then bring in the touches that make it real—like the plants and animals (stuffed or framed, of course) you’d find there. Playful rugs and fabric choices tie things together. From floor to ceiling you can bring these ideas together. Think fishing nets that hold toys suspended from the ceiling if you want an island feel. Or find fun animal prints on throws, blankets and pillows to help create a jungle vibe.
6. Get things moving.
Anyone who’s ever traveled knows that the journey can be just as amazing as the destination. So why not focus your décor on travel? After all what kid doesn’t love planes, trains, automobiles, and hot air balloons? Trick out your bedroom with wall decals from Roommates or Wayfair of your favorite modes of transportation, and find bedding and pillows to match. Then think about the knick-knacks and other décor that would go well in the room. Globes are always a win with kids, and stacked vintage suitcases double as discreet toy storage. Toy planes, trains, hot air balloons, and automobiles keep with the theme. Because transportation is always a hit with kids, finding travel-themed mobiles, inspiring peel-n-stick quotes and even wallpaper is easy to do.
Create ambiance
Once you’ve selected a theme, remember to bring in cultural experiences with everyday details. Playing music and languages from other countries keeps kids engaged and learning while they play. Adding in flowers from around the world helps to keep the room bright and smelling fresh too, and glow-in-the-dark ceiling stars will have your wannabe travelers wondering about all the people who share the same sky. Stocking your child’s bookshelf with global topics helps connect with kids and cultures both the same and different from them. And when you’re shopping for pillows, baskets, wall hangings, and other extras, remember to buy handmade, fair-trade products whenever you can.
Don’t forget the toys
Toys are the other kid’s room staple. Travel-themed bedroom ideas mean finding toys that offer play-based learning and toys that inspire global curiosity. Whole Wide World Toys’ World Village Playsets and the World Happy Map ignite kids’ imaginations and their desire to learn about the world they live in. When kids pull out the Ireland or China Playsets, they’ll follow friends Joe and Emma around a Chinese village or through the Irish countryside learning about new and exciting cultures as they go. The laminated World Happy Map lets kids keep track of their own world travels, map their global connections, and even follow global animal migration patterns. Plus, the reusable stickers and washable markers let kids pull this toy out again and again. Remember to include these playful additions to your travel-themed room.
Are you ready for your housewarming (er, room-warming) party? Stick with your theme and try a new international cuisine or search what snacks kids eat there (fairy bread anyone?), learn to say “welcome” in a new language, and start the dance party with some world music. Here’s to world adventure!
You Might Also Like:
– Screen-Free Indoor Play Ideas for Kids
– Why Imaginative Play Is Important for Kids
– How to Play Ninja for a Day
