18 window treatments for children's bedrooms – lovely designs for spaces big and small

Choosing window treatments for children's bedrooms is a vital part when designing their room, but it can be a tricky one at that. You need to strike a balance between beauty and practicality. Ensuring your kid(s) will enjoy the right light levels at different times of the day via a safe and stylish window dressing.

A good curtain or shade design should also add privacy and create a comfortable environment for sleeping, playing and socializing in. Thankfully, there are many beautiful ways to style windows in kids' rooms, whether they prefer a bright patterned shades or dreamy drapes.

1. Choose glow-in-the-dark designs to wow

Glow-in-the-dark accessories are very much a nostalgic part of our childhood. From wall stickers and decals to fluorescent or luminous paint, it's a extra finish that will let them dream big.

If you want to incorporate it into something a little more functional, a glow-in-the-dark blind is the way to go.

During the day, they'll camouflage into a grey color then come night time, your child will be in for a wonderful surprise as their room turns into a starry night sky, albeit for up to thirty minutes.

2. Coordinate window treatments with accessories

The key to a super chic small kids' window treatment is coordination. And if you want to create a beautiful bedroom that's affordable too  – then it's best to go bespoke and do the work yourself.

By buying the raw materials for your window treatment, you can create curtains, blinds and much more.

In this example, a few meters of Sophie Allport's Fairground Ponies fabric has been fashioned into a cute blind to take care of the sunshine. The 100% cotton composition means it's machine washable too.

See what you can do with a sewing machine and some TLC?

3. Match your window treatment with a seating space

This grey, green and yellow design is as gender neutral as color schemes go, and when tied together with a matching window seat design and cushions, makes for a lovely cohesive finish. Claim your free sample swatch and shop the exact fabric design at Annie Sloan.

4. In a windowless room, consider alternative options

If your child has a windowless room in the home, they don't have to miss out on all of the fun of kids' window treatment ideas.

Cool and creative, this curtained bunk bedroom idea provides privacy for both parties and blocks out artificial or natural light if one child if up before the other.

Note how the striped curtain idea works alongside a striped cushion and zebra print rug to provide some coordination in an otherwise colorful scheme.

5. Be versatile with a day and night blind

'Day and Night blinds trap and retain the heat between their two layers, helping to insulate your home and reduce your energy bills.' says Rob Kemp, advisor at Hillary's.

So it's no wonder many parents turn to this kids' window treatment idea. Creating a soft and contemporary look while providing privacy and light control, day and night blinds maintain privacy in an almost magical way.

The translucent fabric panels allow light in, while keeping prying eyes and scary shadows out.

6. Go smart with a remote-operated electric blind

Today's kids have all the tech. From smartphones to games consoles - the future is digital. And the same can be said for interiors too.

As well as removing the risks associated with a cord design, a remote-controlled blind is a modern small kids' window treatment that'll earn you some brownie points  too.

Perfect for little ones or less-abled children, it'll allow them to control the light coming into hard to reach windows.

This contemporary design from Thomas Sanderson has a lovely sheer finish to let a little natural light in.

7. Child with allergies? Choose a special coated blind

'One in four people suffer with some form of hayfever or pollen allergy, which can often lead to poor sleep or low mood.', says Neil Makinson, Head of E-Commerce at Swift Direct Blinds.

'So specialist Pollergen™ treated fabrics can help to reduce suffering for those with hayfever as the specialist fabric is able to trap and denature up to 50% of grass pollen; making it an ideal choice for the bedroom.'

8. Choose an accent color and use it your curtains too

Accent colors are such fun to implement in a kid's room, and we adore this space with its three accent elements of saffron yellow.

Where the color has been used is key, each piece draws your eye around the room – from the fire surround, to ceiling and curtains and they're easy to change too as your child get older and wants more input in their color scheme. 

9. Pick louvered shutters for adjustable light levels

Louvered shutters are a good alternative type of window treatment if there's not enough wall space to fold solid shutters right back, and if you want to be able to create a private space – ideal if the bedroom is overlooked – or to adjust the light levels during the day (perhaps the bedroom is south-facing and needs a spot of light filtering during the day?).

Tier-on-tier shutters like these allow you to keep the top half open and the bottom half closed during the day, too. 

White or neutral shutters will, of course, last the course as they grow older, but you can spray paint colorful ones in future.

The downside? Louvered shutters are effective at shutting out noise and drafts but light does filter through somewhat, something to bear in mind if the room is east-facing.

On a budget? Choose DIY measure and fit shutters like these, which come in at a fraction of the price of others.

10. Opt for Venetian blinds for a smart, grown-up look

If shutters are beyond your budget, Venetian blinds are a more affordable option that gives you a similar, streamlined look.

'When it comes to our bedrooms, privacy is key no matter the size of the window.' says Jason Peterkin, director at 247 Blinds.

'However, a good option for small windows is Venetian blinds, as they allow lots of light into the room which otherwise may be very dark - all whilst ensuring total privacy.'

'In order to give both maximum light and privacy, I’d suggest adjusting your blinds according to the sun.'

Easy to wipe clean, they come in a range of colors and finishes, although white or wood-effects will endure as your child grows and their tastes change. 

The downsides: they will rattle if the window is left open on a hot, breezy night, and they don't keep out as much light as louvered shutters, since light seeps in between the slats and around the edges.

Plus, of course, as with other similar window treatments, you have to be very careful of any cords with little ones around.

11. Roman blinds create a co-ordinated feel

If you love the look of layered fabrics, Roman blinds are a good choice for children's bedrooms, allowing you to pick up the colors in the fabric elsewhere in the room for a co-ordinated feel. Pick a plain finish to make it easier to redecorate around – anything patterned with a childish design will make it date quickly, too. Line the blind with blackout fabric to keep the bedroom dark and quieter in the evening and early morning, too.

The downside? Roman blinds have the cord issue that can be a safety issue with a younger child, so ensure yours is tethered well out of reach at all times; children don't find it easy/have the patience to raise these blinds correctly, either, so expect to find it sitting wonky unless you get involved...

12. Cute pattern and interest

If your child's first bedroom is temporary or if, perhaps, you're renting, it might be that you want to use the window treatment as an opportunity to add color and interest to the room.

In this case, a Roman blind is a good option, because it allows you to show off the fabric's design in all its glory, all of the time, raised or not. If you're on a budget, picking ready-made blinds over made-to-measure will stretch your funds further.

This Emma Bridgewater Dinosaurs Roman blind at Blinds2Go is a roaring option for a boy's bedroom idea.

13. Choose fitted blinds for a loft bedroom

In a loft room, you have the gnarly problem of roof windows. Our advice? Don't waste your time trying to make your own blinds for these windows – they invariably fail at keeping the light out and won't look as smart as they did at first after just a few weeks; the best and only option is for made-to-measure blinds.

If you have Velux windows, you'll find a code inside the frame – you can use this code to buy perfect-fit blinds that can come as plain, patterned and even blackout.

Read our guide to buying blinds for loft and roof windows for more info.

14. Introduce a botanical theme

Roller blinds are undoubtedly your best choice if your budget has run out – there's a vast array of colors and patterns to choose from and, of course, many of them come in blackout options, although light will still seep into the room around the edges, however, this can be remedied in future if you add curtains to the mix. Again, watch the cord safety issue. 

A hot trend for interiors? The exotics: whether big, bold leaves, jungle themes or chinoiserie, so go for these prints if you want the latest look for your child's bedroom window treatment.

However, if you want to make a small window look bigger, we've got some expert insight for you. 

“If your window is quite small and you want to give the illusion of a bigger window, roller blinds can work wonders.' says Jason Peterkin, Director at 247 Blinds.

'Opting for a paired back, relaxed pattern or neutral color can help the window sit seamlessly in the room, tricking the eye into overlooking the size of the window.'

15. Let natural light flood in

If your child's room has a small window, is north-facing and isn't overlooked, and if your child isn't bothered by morning and evening light, undressing the window, perhaps with the simplest of gauzy white roller blinds will make the space feel brighter and bigger.

It will also allow you to show off the window itself – a plus if it's a good-looking one.

16. Double up with a blackout blind

If you love the look of an undressed window but, for all the obvious reasons, need a more practical window treatment for your child's bedroom, this is a good solution: gauzy curtains matched with a white blackout blind.

Why a white blackout blind? You can completely raise it during the day and, positioned on a white window frame, it becomes more or less invisible.

17. Hang curtains for a smart focal feature

There are all sorts of reasons to add your favourite bedroom curtain ideas to your kids room. Floor-length designs, pulled right back from the window, will make the window feel grander; blackout lined curtains will keep out the light, noise and draughts almost as effectively as solid shutters; and they're a good opportunity for adding a splash of colour and pattern to a room.

The downsides? When measuring for curtains, check the header – while we love the look of a curtain pole like this one, it will allow in more light than a rail will; curtains can also be victims to mucky fingers and are a hassle to clean, unlike shutters, for instance, which can be simply wiped; and of course, if your child's bedroom is small, full curtains will look bulky, so you may be better off picking a more streamlined finish.

• See our pick of the best blackout curtains for bedrooms.

18. Renting? Fit window film for added privacy

No one wants their child's bedroom overlooked, but adding a layer of window film to the window panes is a quick, affordable way to give it privacy.

Of course, even the best window film designs alone might not do the job, but it can be matched with every single one of the children's bedroom window treatments above. 

You can buy ready-made window film panels if you're on a budget, but made-to-measure ones, if a little more expensive, will give you a choice of designs and a better finish, particularly if the window is large and joins are inevitable with the ready-made designs.

How do you dress a kids' bedroom window?

'If your bedroom window is particularly small, you may be tempted to avoid any window dressings to ensure the room feels light and airy.' says Jason Peterkin, director at 247 Blinds.

'However, it must be said that opting for some blinds for your small window doesn’t have to mean reducing the amount of light entering your room.

'Venetian blinds are a great option for bedrooms even on a small window, as they allow lots of light to flow through the room whilst keeping full privacy.'