Do you really need artificial plants in a child's room to be on the safe side? No, absolutely not. Real plants can also find their place there without becoming a hazard. In addition to their appearance, they also bring further advantages: Living greenery improves the indoor air, produces oxygen, and creates a pleasant atmosphere. Children who grow up with plants develop a sense of nature and responsibility early on. Watering a plant, observing offshoots, or discovering new leaves are small experiences that have a lasting impact. Nevertheless, it is important to choose plants for the children's room carefully. Many popular houseplants can be poisonous under certain circumstances. Fortunately, there are also truly child-friendly plants that are just as beautiful and can safely be moved into a child's room.
What matters when choosing plants for a child's room
Many plants that are completely unproblematic in the living room are simply the wrong choice for rooms where children sleep, play, and romp. If you are specifically looking for child-friendly plants, you should keep a few criteria in mind:
- Non-toxic: Toddlers explore their environment with their hands and mouth, and even older children curiously reach into pots or pluck off leaves. A plant that causes symptoms when swallowed has no place in a child's room.
- Safe: Plants with thorns or sharp-edged leaves pose an unnecessary risk of injury in a child's room.
- Odorless: Strong-smelling plants can disturb sleep and negatively affect the indoor air. Especially in children's rooms, where children sleep for many hours, this is a factor that many underestimate.
It can also be helpful to opt for low-maintenance plants. Not only because family life is already busy enough, but also because children can actively participate. If too much water is accidentally poured in or the pot is knocked over while romping, the plant should be able to tolerate it without problems. Many uncomplicated and at the same time child-friendly plants make exactly this possible without much going wrong.
Examples of child-friendly plants
There are many non-toxic plants for children that are also beautiful and easy to care for. The following selection is generally considered safe. Nevertheless, some children are more sensitive than others. Even fundamentally non-toxic plants can trigger reactions in some children, for example, in the case of existing allergies or particularly sensitive skin. It is therefore worth observing new plants initially and removing them from the child's room at the first signs of a reaction.
Spider Plant – perfect for out-of-reach places
The spider plant has long, narrow leaves that hang loosely over the edge of the pot, giving the room an airy feel. This is practical for a child's room: it can be placed high up, far out of reach of little hands, and still green up the child's room. The plant is considered one of the safest options available and is also extremely easy to care for. It is best to water it regularly but moderately, avoid waterlogging, and choose a bright location without direct sun. The spider plant is also considered an air-purifying plant and can thus contribute to a pleasant indoor climate in the child's room.
Maranta – the living houseplant
The Maranta is also called the prayer plant. This is due to its special sleeping behavior: in the evening, it raises its leaves upright, and in the morning, it lowers them again. This spectacle repeats daily and makes it one of the most fascinating houseplants of all, especially for children who look closely. In addition, there are the striking leaf patterns in various shades of green and red. Although the Maranta is not the most undemanding houseplant, it is still easy to keep with a little routine. A bright location without direct sun and regular spraying are sufficient for basic care. Regular spraying is even a job that children can enthusiastically take on.
Money Tree – the small tree for the children's room
In the children's room, the Money Tree brings the feeling of a small tree into the room without taking up much space. Its striking, often braided trunk and large, hand-shaped leaves make it a real eye-catcher. It is largely considered non-toxic. Only the trunk sap can cause stomach problems in toddlers in very large quantities if swallowed. There is no danger from normal touching. Also, caring for the Money Tree is uncomplicated. It needs a bright location without direct sun and is watered sparingly, as the thickened trunk stores water.
Parlor Palm – for the mini jungle
The Parlor Palm brings a real jungle feeling into the children's room with its finely pinnate, dark green fronds. As an indoor palm, it remains compact and manageable in size, which also makes it ideal for smaller rooms. It is considered a non-toxic houseplant and can also be placed on the floor within reach of children. A bright location without direct sun is important. Water regularly, but moderately, and occasionally spray the fronds, especially in heated rooms with dry air.
Caution: These plants are unsuitable for children's rooms
Many popular houseplants are poisonous and have no place in a child's room. Especially for toddlers who explore their surroundings with their hands and mouth, the risk is high. Some plants cause irritation even with skin contact with the sap, while others only become dangerous when swallowed. Toxins such as calcium oxalate crystals or saponins, which are found in many popular houseplants, are responsible for this. The following are among them:
- Dieffenbachia: Considered highly poisonous even with skin contact with the sap.
- Pothos: Irritating on skin contact, dangerous if swallowed.
- Philodendron: The plant sap irritates the skin and is poisonous if swallowed.
- Monstera: Contains several irritants, dangerous both on skin contact and if swallowed.
- Snake Plant: Considered mildly poisonous.
First aid for possible poisoning
Even with all precautions, something can happen. So what to do if a child has nibbled on a plant? The most important thing at this moment is to remain calm, because in most cases it remains with mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. After that, it's best to call poison control directly. Having a plant part or a photo of the plant ready helps experts quickly identify the plant. It is also important not to induce vomiting. It is reassuring to know that the vast majority of all plant poisonings in children pass without serious consequences. .
Further tips for plants in the children's room
When it comes to plants for the children's room, age is generally important. Our recommendations are primarily aimed at toddlers who still touch and put everything in their mouths. Older children can, of course, also have popular plants like a Monstera or a Philodendron in their room. Many of these plants are also only dangerous if the plant sap leaks out, for example when leaves break off, not from simply touching them.
It is also helpful to involve children from the beginning. It is worth explaining to children early on which plants they are allowed to touch and which are better not to. Practicing watering and caring for plants together also promotes a conscious approach to plants early on. Placement also plays a role, of course. Poisonous or sensitive plants should ideally be placed out of reach of children, for example on high shelves, window sills out of reach, or in hanging pots. It can also be useful to cover the soil, as toddlers like to reach into flower pots and then put their fingers in their mouths. A simple layer of stones or bark mulch quickly provides a remedy here.
