If you’re starting to plan the nursery, you may be interested to find out what styles and colours have made it into the top nursery trends. As fashions change and colours fall out of favour, it can be hard to keep up with what is hot for nurseries. Here are some of the top recent trends:

1. Chevrons – these have been stealing the show in baby stores for a couple of years now, and show no sign of going anywhere. A simple yet striking pattern, chevrons can give your nursery the wow factor. From high contrast monochrome, attention-grabbing brights, and subtle yet beautiful pastels, the world is your oyster with this trend. You can throw yourself into this trend by covering the walls in chevrons, or just add a hint here and there with pillows and throws.

2. Pastel shades – pastel colours can be found in fashion stores, wedding bouquets and baby’s nurseries. You could choose a single shade, or mix an assortment of pastel colours together. From pastel coloured bedding, to painted shabby chic furniture, pastels can create an atmosphere of serenity and calm in your baby’s nursery.

3. Brights and whites – this modern yet classic look is perfect for a nursery. White walls and furniture, livened up by the unforgiving brightness of baby toys, clothes and blankets. Baby products often come in bright, vivid colours, make the most of this by having them on show. From assorted colours of cloth nappies, to brightly coloured soft toys, and beautiful crocheted blankets, allow your baby’s clutter to bring colour to the room.

4. Wall stickers – these allow you to transform a room in a single movement. There are so many designs, colours and styles of wall stickers available, you won’t struggle to find one that looks at home in your nursery. From cute sayings, to bold prints, wall stickers can give you the freedom to change the nursery  whenever you want.

5. Eco – environmentally friendly home decor can be beautiful, affordable and will help your nursery to stand out from the crowd. From organic bedding, recycled cribs, and upcycled wall art, there are so many unique and stylish options for your nursery. Whether you choose a few key pieces that meet eco criteria, or set yourself the challenge of decorating the entire room without damaging the planet, there’s room for a little bit of eco in every nursery.

6. Gender neutral – if you have chosen not to find out the sex of your baby, you may be forced to choose a gender neutral colour scheme for your nursery. If you have found out the sex, however, it doesn’t mean you have to go down the traditional soft pink or baby blue route. Navy, greens, and reds are all gaining popularity as gender neutral colours for nurseries.

Have you started looking for nursery inspiration? What colour will you be decorating your baby’s nursery?

Written by Fiona, proud owner of a toddler, @fiona_peacock

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.

Toys are often split by gender. Pink building blocks for girls and brightly colored building blocks for boys, for example. Doctors, superhero and police officer outfits for boys and an array of princess dresses for little girls. How can a toy be gendered, you may wonder, surely you can just buy whichever toy you want? Well, yes, but if that toy comes in bright pink packaging, your school-aged son is likely to say “it’s for girls.” If that toy is situated in the boys’ section of the toy store, your daughter is unlikely to notice it never mind want it.

What are the benefits of gender neutral toys?

The difference between boys and girls lurks in their diapers. And that’s it. Your daughter can climb, solve and build just as well as any of the boys she knows. And your son can care for dollies, dance and show empathy as well as any of the girls. If you stick to traditional boy/girl toys, you’re limiting the resources and learning opportunities your child has access to. Don’t let toy store marketers tell you what your child can play with or who they can dream of becoming (doctor or princess, depending on gender).

5 fun gender neutral toys

If you’d love to avoid gender stereotyping, think carefully about the toys you have in your home. This will become more important as your child grows older, but even baby toys are often categorized according to gender. Here are five fun gender neutral toys for your child:

1. Building blocks

Contrary to what toy marketers may try to tell you, building blocks are great toys for all babies. And, brace yourself because this may come as a surprise, the blocks don’t need to be pink for your daughter to play with. Your baby will have hours of fun stacking bricks and watching them tumble over.

2. Toys with wheels

Yep, that’s right, girls are allowed to like things with wheels too. Revolutionary, isn’t it? A wheeled toy can encourage your baby to become mobile. There are plenty of options for wheeled toys for babies from hand held cards to wheeled bunnies on sticks that can be pushed along.

3. Musical toys

All babies love music and especially when they’re the ones in control of the beat. There are lots of different options of gender neutral instrument toys for babies from shakers to drums and beyond.

4. Dolls

This one is pretty controversial, but little boys can play with dolls too. After all, they might grow up to be fathers one day. Wouldn’t it be great if they were raised understanding how to love and take care of babies? Your baby will enjoy tucking the doll under a blanket, giving kisses and even pushing the baby around in a pram. And guess what? You don’t have to be a girl to enjoy all those things.

5. Balls

Balls are great for developing coordination, encourage mobility and getting your baby moving. Your baby will enjoy rolling the ball along the floor, throwing it and chasing after it. Why should girls miss out on all these great opportunities for skills development?

What are your baby’s favorite gender neutral toys?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.