How is Your Decor Impacting Your Child’s Opportunity for Language: The “Sad Beige” and Minimalistic Room Trend

Let me begin by saying… I hear you. Here at Language Blossoms, we love neutral colors. However, have you ever paused to reflect on how the color and organization of your child’s room, playroom, and environment can either create or eliminate opportunities for communication? Let’s dive into that further.

Color

The “Sad Beige Trend”: coined on TikTok by Hayley DeRoche, the ‘sad beige trend’ refers to children’s rooms/play areas that are completely neutral in color. Parents have opted for beige/tan tones and reduced overall color in the room. Although for some this is aesthetically pleasing, color is important for your child’s development. 

1. Development: The American Optometric Association states that children are likely able to see colors by 5 months old. This means that adding color to your child’s areas early on helps your child begin to identify colors even before they have the language capability to verbally label colors.

2. Expansion: Adding color to your child’s areas can help with labeling, describing, and commenting. To expand on what your child is saying, add the color, shape, or size of an item to what they say (for example, if your child hands you a toy and says “car” you can say “yes! That is a yellow car.”) Having color throughout the room creates opportunities for natural teaching. 

3. Directions: to go even further, color can be used to target directions. Ask your child to bring you the “yellow block” from the set of colorful blocks or pick out the  “blue bear” from the shelf. 

Organization

Now how about organization? As a mother I understand that “toy clutter” is often associated with parent “mental clutter” and sometimes out of sight out of mind just FEELS better. However, shoving toys away in the closet might not be the best approach to get your child communicating? How can the organization of rooms create opportunities for language? Let’s see! 

1. Bins: place toys that aren’t being used in clear bins outside of the child’s reach, but in their line of sight. This could be on a top shelf. If a child is pointing or indicating that they want a toy from the shelf, you now have an opportunity for language. Model the proper request “oh you want the cars. Cars please. Let’s bring the cars down. Cars down” 

2. A bookshelf at child height: it’s no surprise that at Language Blossoms we value literacy and the effects that early book exposure has on future language success. So although there is benefit to having your child request items, books do not fall in the same category. Having books around that a child can access and look at independently is SO important. Place books in the low-level bookshelf, on nightstands, and on the coffee table, and see how your child begins to gravitate towards them. 

3. Front and Center: look through your child’s toys and determine what has the highest yield for language opportunities? Do they always chat when playing with dolls? Do cars generate new sounds you have never heard them use before? Do they work on social language during dress up? Whatever it is, keep those toys front and center. This could be that they are always on a top shelf or have their own place in the room. If you utilize a toy rotation system, make sure each rotation has a high yield language toy. 

Conclusion

Let the organization and decor of your child’s room and play spaces work with you while targeting your child’s speech and language. Be intentional with your design and see how it impacts your child’s play and language use. What changes can you make today to facilitate communication in your child’s room?