Best child-friendly flooring options

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When you’re creating the perfect family home, you may be thinking about childproofing your cupboard doors, and putting up stair gates – but have you considered the flooring that you have? Some flooring types can be ideal for life with little ones and finding the flooring that works not only for your style but for your family’s needs, is important.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the different flooring types and their pros and cons for family homes, as well as explore fun options you can consider too. With this information, you can head over to your local Tapi store to pick up samples of your ideal child-friendly flooring.

What does child-friendly flooring mean?

Whether you already have children or are preparing for their arrival in your lives, you’ll want your home to be able to cope with all the fun that comes from living with little ones. There are several key features you might want to look out for:

Durability – life with kids can be tough and exhausting, and your flooring may begin to show signs of wear and tear quicker with little ones playing, running around and being busy on the floor.
Softness – while toddlers are learning to get their balance right, having a softer floor can save them from some bumps and bruises.
Easy to clean – accidents happen, and even more so with babies and children, so having flooring that you can clean easily is a big time-saver.
Stain-resistant – those little accidents can sometimes leave stains on your floor and having stain-resistant flooring can save you from having to consult our carpet cleaning guide.
Water-resistant – bath time and dinner time can get quite exciting and playful, so having water-resistant flooring can give you peace of mind that your subfloors won’t suffer every time bath time comes around.
Comfort – your children haven’t spent as much time walking around as you have, so their feet are more sensitive to harder surfaces.

Some floorings will have more of these qualities than others, but your personal preferences will always be the deciding factor in what materials you choose for your home. Let’s take a look at some of the child-friendly flooring options you may want to explore further.

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Types of flooring for children

Here are just some of the options you could explore when you’re looking at making your flooring more child-friendly:

Laminate

One of the most popular smooth floors on the market, laminate flooring is known for being durable thanks to the different layers it’s made from – the strong core helps to give laminate boards strength, and the decorative layer is kept pristine by a protective layer on top, meaning it looks and feels as good as it did when you first got after it many years.

The protective top layer of laminate also makes it scratch-resistant, which is great when you have little ones who love to play with toys on the floor. Some of the laminates that we have available are also water-resistant, meaning you can confidently use them in your kitchen or dining room when your wee ones are making a mess with their food.

Vinyl

Vinyl has some great benefits, the topmost of which is its built-in layer of comfort. Most types of vinyl come with a spongey layer to them that makes them soft when you walk on them, which can be great for sensitive small feet.

We also sell a range of vinyl flooring that is water-resistant, which means that bath time can get as fun-filled and splashtastic as you like, as you don’t need to worry about any of the water getting through to your subfloor. However, always make sure to mop it up afterwards to avoid any long-term damage!

LVT

Luxury vinyl is another great option if you’re looking for child-friendly flooring. It’s similar to laminate in that it comes in planks or tiles and acts like a floating floor, and it’s also similar to vinyl in that it’s made of multiple layers of materials that give it lots of great benefits.

The stain- and water-resistant options we stock at Tapi are perfect for busy family homes where accidents can be more frequent, and you won’t need to worry about replacing your flooring or covering it up with this flooring.

Carpet

Carpet is traditionally one of the most comfortable floorings available, and it helps to keep your children’s bedrooms cosy and warm, especially when paired with a high tog underlay too. Our favourite carpet option for homes with children is a loop pile carpet, because if you opt for a low, densely woven loop it will be extremely durable to put up with all your little one's running around. Carpets have a great variety of styles to choose from – whether you prefer natural or synthetic materials, or a classic cream or pop of pink, the options are endless.

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Fun ideas for flooring for children

Use a colourful or patterned rug. Covering smooth floors with a fun rug can make a room look much more child-friendly and comfortable.
Use different colours for different parts of their bedrooms or playrooms. This creates different areas for your kids to play in and makes the room look more colourful and fun.
Use colourful play mats for your children to play on to protect your wooden floors. This will stop any pesky scratches or accidents with staining materials like paint or felt tip pens.
Encourage kids to use doormats when they come in and out of the house to prevent scratches and marks.
Get your kids’ house slippers that they can wear indoors if you prefer harder surface flooring. This way they can keep their feet comfortable and warm, and you can still have your home style the way you want it.

If you’re keen to find out more about the flooring that would work best in your home, why not book a free home appointment or a free store appointment to chat with our floorologists? We also have loads of great inspiration from real customers you can use if you’re not sure how you would style specific flooring in your home – check it out in our Ideas Hub! Alternatively, if you're looking to create the perfect room for your kids, then why not check out our guide to colour clashing, to make your room lively, creative, and fun?

Post author

Claire Murphy Copywriter Former lifestyle journalist, keen amateur upcycler, full of value for money ideas

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Published: 01-12-2022