BUILD UP STEM SKILLS WITH A SPACE THEMED CHILDREN'S BEDROOM

There's no denying that a space-themed children's bedroom is out of this world. But cool-factor aside, it's also a great way of surrounding your aspiring astronaut with all the colour, detail and fantastic features they need to develop early STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills.

Children are naturally curious about their environment and understanding their place within the world, so what could be better than to give them a room that encourages exploration and learning but in an incredibly relaxed way?

Let's take a look at some of our favourite products to help your child learn about the galaxy from the comfort of their very own bedroom.

SLEEP AMONGST THE STARS

The Paddington Bunk Bed with Navy Stardust Curtains is a great place to start. Obviously, it's a comfy bed for sleeping in, but during the day, we think it makes an incredible rocket ship. Surrounded by stars with little windows to look out of, your child can blast off to any planet that takes their fancy.

Ask them questions about what they can see or do on their way to the moon and beyond. Reference the planets and the order in which they exist from the sun and ask them what they think it would be like to live on each one. The aim is to encourage conversation and curiosity.

GET TO KNOW THE PLANETS

Our thick, pure wool Space Rug looks fabulous in kids' bedrooms and has so much potential for fun learning. Each planet is hand crafted and takes up its rightful place in the solar system offering a really cosy way to learn about the universe

Use our beautiful rug to encourage children to think about where they are in space. If they're sat on the sun or one of the planets, ask them where they are in relation to the others. One away from Saturn? Two away from Earth? Research has shown that there are clear links between spatial skills and STEM skills.

KEEP THE ROCKET SHIP SPICK AND SPAN

Make a learning game out of keeping rooms tidy with our stackable Barbican Toy Storage Box in White Stardust. Being able to count is a vital skill for little ones but understanding exactly how many physical objects those numbers correspond to is even more important. You can help your child work on this by asking them to pick up and put one, two or three toys in their toy box. Or by asking them to choose five blue cars to play with or to move eight marbles in to a different stacking storage box.

AN OUT OF THIS WORLD MISSION CONTROL

Every budding Helen Sharman or Tim Peake needs a mission control to plan all their adventures and prepare for their next flight. Our Atlas Desk is both sturdy and practical with a handy drawer and lots of shelf space. Pop the Space Magnetic Notice Board on the wall for the perfect place to show off favourite photographs and postcards from travels and trips.

If they've finished their homework and are happy to take on another challenge, ask your child to describe or daw one or two of the most famous of the constellations. Or offer them recycling materials, paints and glue to design and build their very own rocket ship. We recommend the Solar System for extra facts, pictures and quizzes.

SUPERSONIC STORAGE

Part storage, part inspiration for model making and future space exploration plans, the Rocket Corner Shelf is ideal for brightening up unused corners and can be used to hold toys and trinkets or act as a true to life rocket for small teddies. 

Or for something equally as special, our Felt Wall Hanging featuring colourful planets and an array of stars is the perfect finishing touch for a space-themed children's bedroom. Bright, colourful, and beautifully-made, it's sure to prompt many questions about the different planets in our solar system and beyond. Do aliens really exist?

INTERPLANETARY PICTURE BOOKS

Observation and analysis are two fundamental STEM skills and you can help your child to develop these simply by encouraging them to notice changes in their environment. Outdoors, it's relatively easy to stop and talk about seasonal and weather changes and observe the impact of wind and rain on swaying trees in the garden. Indoors, it can be a little trickier. However, you could try changing which toys are on display in their room or mixing up the books that sit in the most prominent position on a front-facing bookcase, like our popular Greenaway Bookcase. Why not theme the books around space or any other topic that your child is interested in?