9 Tips for Designing a Child-Friendly Bathroom

When it’s time to work on a bathroom redesign, it’s important to consider who will be using it. If you’re designing a bathroom for the children in your family, you’ll need to keep several important factors in mind, including the following:

1. Utilize Non-Skid Materials Wherever Possible

Children can slip and fall far more easily in the shower than adults, especially if they are roughhousing. Select nonskid materials for the floor of your shower, add nonslip elements to your bathtub, and choose safe flooring materials to keep your children safe in the bathroom.

2. Focus on Appropriate Storage

Children’s bathrooms clearly demonstrate the need for appropriate storage space, as medications must be kept secured, toys need a place to air out and dry, and towels need to be kept up off the floor. In addition, children need to be able to reach most storage areas so they can learn the important skills that they’ll need to clean up after themselves as they grow. A skilled bathroom designer can help you redesign your child’s bathroom with appropriate storage so that you can help your children keep it neat and tidy.

3. Consider Adding Grab Bars for Safety

Wet surfaces like shower floors and bathtubs can be slippery and less safe for children. Installing grab bars in the bath or shower can give little hands some extra support, providing your child with something to reach for if they start to slip. Grab bars help make the bathing area safer overall, limiting the chance of slip and fall accidents and making it far easier for your kids to get in and out of the bath or shower.

4. Add Shower Seats for Comfortable Access

It can be difficult for small children to sit still in the bath long enough to get clean, but it can also be hard on a parent’s back to wash them in the bath or the shower. Installing a shower seat can help make staying clean an easier process, allowing caregivers to easily work with children and teach them to shower on their own. Many shower seats fold up, so they aren’t in the way when they aren’t being used, but can be easily accessed when they are needed. This makes them a great option for homes with small children, as they can be tucked away when it’s not shower time.

5. Include Double Vanities for Multiple Children

Families with more than one child may find they often experience battles over sink space, especially at toothbrushing time. As you redesign your bathroom, it may be wise to consider a double vanity for the children. This allows them to access their own sink, faucet, and mirror so they can get ready with ease. While it may seem trivial when they’re young, this choice may make your life dramatically easier as your children age.

6. Plan for Towel Racks and Hooks

With multiple family members using the same bathroom, having appropriate storage for linens becomes quite important. A variety of towel racks and hook-style hardware are available to choose from, so you can design the towel storage that works best for your children at each stage of their development. Small children will likely do better with hooks mounted at eye level, as these allow them to hang up their towels easily. Older tweens and teens may prefer the convenience of a multi-layered towel rack so they can both hang up their towels and have more room in the bathroom.

7. Install a Pull-Out Step

It can be difficult for small children to reach the sink to wash their hands, brush their teeth, or fill their water bottle. This can lead to them slipping and falling, or spilling water all over the bathroom floor as they try to accomplish these tasks. If you struggle with these issues, consider installing a hidden pull-out step beneath your bathroom vanity. This will allow little ones the extra height they need to reach the sink and counter, and eliminate the worry of slips, falls, and spills. This is a relatively small change that you can make to your bathroom that goes a long way toward keeping everyone safe.

8. Install Child-Friendly Fixtures

Fixtures such as faucets, showerheads, and spray nozzles can all be chosen specifically with children in mind. Small children may struggle to reach a conventional sink tap, for example, but find they can reach one with a pull-out spray nozzle quite well. A special needs child may struggle with the sensory sensations of a traditional shower head, but find they enjoy the feelings elicited by a rainfall shower. Designing your children’s bathroom with them in mind provides you with the unique opportunity to create an environment that is safe, healthy, and enjoyable for them. Consider their size, abilities, and accessibility needs as you select fixtures, so that you can make their bathroom a space they can use easily.

9. Include a Bench or Step Stool

If you have a bathtub and no shower, it can be hard on the adults in the family as they attempt to manage bath time. Households who intend to have only a bath, with no shower, may want to consider adding a bench or foldable step stool as a full-time furniture piece in the bathroom. This eliminates the need to kneel over the tub for washing hair, playing with toys, or scrubbing out the tub. Instead, the tub can be easily accessed by both adults and children, without the need to bend unnaturally for long periods of time.

Shop Kingston Brass for Child-Friendly Bathroom Accessories

Keeping your children’s wants and needs in mind as you work through the bathroom design process can help you create a space that they can use as independently as possible. With careful planning, you can also work to design a bathroom that will grow with them as they age, so they’ll have the storage and accessibility they need throughout their time at home. Kingston Brass is the ideal place to start your child-friendly bathroom redesign. Shop the Kingston Brass catalog to see innovative design ideas to make your children's bathroom a safe, friendly, and easy-to-use place.