Nursery wall graphics
This page is about day nurseries and early years settings. Everything here is touched, licked and picked at, so the question is what survives a three-year-old.
Kneel down before you measure.
Adults plan walls from standing height. Your audience sees the room from well under a metre, and babies see it from the floor. Get down there. Note what is in view from a play mat, from a low table and from the reading corner. Then put the interesting material there, and use the upper wall for what parents and staff need.
Assume little fingers will find the edges
If a corner can be lifted, a child will lift it. Small pieces of peeled vinyl are a hazard for a child who puts things in their mouth, so this comes before any design choice.
- Use whole, simple shapes with few fine points or thin parts.
- Run graphics up to a skirting or a corner so edges are protected, and check them regularly.
- Choose a laminated, wipeable finish for anything within reach.
- Avoid rigid boards with hard corners at toddler head height. Vinyl flat on a wall is far safer there.
Your own risk assessment should decide what goes up. Run the plan past your manager, and for wall displays generally, check what your fire risk assessment says, because coverage and material can both matter.
Think in age rooms
| Room | What children do there | What graphics can offer |
|---|---|---|
| Baby room | Lie, roll and gaze | Large, simple shapes with strong contrast, low on the wall |
| Toddler room | Walk, touch and name things | Animals, vehicles and everyday objects at their height |
| Pre-school room | Count, match and begin letters | Numbers, name areas and a feature for your own topic |
| Corridor and entrance | Arrive and leave with a carer | Warm welcome, notices, and a parents' information point |
Busy walls can make a room feel restless. A lot of settings now prefer calmer colours with a single feature wall, leaving space for the children's own work. That space matters: their paintings should be the best thing in the room.
Sharing a hall? You need a kit
Many pre-schools work from church halls and community centres, and pack down every day. Fixed wall vinyl is rarely possible here. Better options are light boards that hang from existing rails, a pair of roller banners, or panels with magnetic tape where there are steel surfaces. Agree anything fixed with the hall's owners first.
If you lease a building
Removal matters. Removable wall vinyl suits rented rooms, though no adhesive behaves the same on every paint, so do a patch test. Our notes on preparing a wall explain how to get the surface right, since dusty or freshly painted walls are the usual reasons graphics let go.
Long walls, printed.
Your questions.
Can we put children's own artwork on the wall at a large size?
Yes, it is a lovely way to use a wall. A clear scan or photograph of the drawing is all we need, and you will want permission from parents if names appear.
Can you design a theme for the whole setting?
Our in-house designers can help with layouts and artwork. Tell us about your rooms, your age groups and how you want them to feel.
What finish is easiest to clean?
A laminated vinyl with a smooth surface is usually the simplest to wipe. Tell us what you clean with, and test a piece first.