How can a children’s waiting area feel welcoming without looking babyish?

Choose a theme that different ages can enjoy, then give it room to work. Local nature, considered scale and a few smaller discoveries can create a welcoming space without making it look like a nursery.

Kikki Belle Animal Kingdom mural in a children’s room with a hanging chair

Close view of native-bird artwork continuing around a corner at Wairau Children’s Ward — Large shapes read from a distance; smaller bird and nest details reward a closer look.

Give different ages something to notice

Consider children, caregivers, older visitors and staff. Check the view from a chair as well as the entrance. Keep essential signage visible and leave plain wall where the room needs breathing space.

At Wairau Children’s Ward, nearby Wairau Lagoon provided the starting point for the plants, birds and landscape.

Oliver Robins Forest Joy mural behind a house-shaped children’s bed

Compare two playful mural styles

Animal Kingdom by Kikki Belle, shown above, brings an animal-filled scene to a whole wall. Forest Joy by Oliver Robins offers another nature-led setting with details to discover.

Choose the scene for the age range and the room, then check how furniture, doors and signage affect the crop. Bring paint, flooring and seating colours into the brief.

Wairau project colouring-book artwork with labelled native birds and plants — Wairau’s matching colouring artwork carries the same birds and plants into a separate activity.

Build small discoveries into the story

A bird among leaves or a nest near a seated viewing height can add interest without filling every wall. For Wairau, a matching colouring book extended the artwork beyond the walls.

If your project includes local names or cultural references, agree them with the appropriate people before artwork approval.

Hairy Maclary Group Walk characters arranged along a painted wall

A familiar decal can be enough

Hairy Maclary Group Walk is a popular children’s decal in our recent sales. A familiar storybook group can make a smaller feature while leaving the surrounding paint visible.

Separate designs such as our Construction Wall Decal Set offer another playful direction. Check each product’s arrangement and dimensions rather than assuming every element can be moved independently.

For a waiting room, discuss cleaning needs and the surface before ordering. The retail artwork is inspiration; its standard finish should not be assumed to meet a healthcare specification.

Three designs to explore

These retail designs are starting points for the artwork. Ask us about your wall, cleaning routine and a suitable commercial finish before ordering; the standard retail material is not a healthcare specification.

Start with the people and the room

Send photos, dimensions, the age range, existing colours and any local inspiration. Add cleaning needs, timing and an indicative budget through our project planning page.

YDS × Artists