If you’re looking into the montessori way of living for the many benefits it can offer for your toddlers, I highly recommend swapping over to a toddler floor bed. They have some amazing benefits, all of which are helpful for development! The many benefits of toddler floor beds are described below, but let’s talk a bit about what they are first.
Introducing Toddler Floor Beds Toddlers
After transitioning my 13 month old to a floor bed a little over a year ago I realized how foreign of an idea a floor bed really was to the modern day parent, YET how beneficial it actually turned out to be for us. It started when I shared my daughter’s new “big girl” room on my blog and when people saw her bed they went nuts for it! Unbeknownst to me I became the toddler floor bed guru and from that moment on my inbox flooded with inquires about her bed. Still, to this day, it is what people most associate my name with. For this reason, I thought I would do a ‘benefits of toddler floor beds’ post for those still unfamiliar with the concept of a floor bed for toddlers!
Everything to Know About Toddler Floor Beds
What to Know About Floor Beds
A floor bed can be as simple as just that. A bed on the floor! The idea was developed as a part of a broader method (The Montessori Method) created by an Italian physician and educator named Dr. Maria Montessori. This method is essentially a complete way of thinking and learning for a child that is based solely around their needs. The method is known to be “child-centered” and stresses freedom and independence within limits.
The floor bed for toddlers is an extension of the idea that everything a child needs should be accessible and at their level. In their bedroom that would include things such as books, toys and furniture. This creates that essential freedom of movement within the child’s room and allows them to safely navigate their own space.
The most important aspect of creating a Montessori space for your children is making sure the room is completely childproof (nothing harmful to them/ mounted furniture etc.) so they can explore without the risk of hurting themselves. The floor bed itself is a huge part of the room. It gives the children the independence to explore while at the same it teaches them their own body sleep cue’s.
When transitioning my oldest there were days in the beginning where she fell asleep on the floor, or in her teepee but after the shock of the independence wore off she realized the bed was her resting place and she wanted to go there to sleep.
Having the bed on the floor not only gives her the independence to freely move in and out but it teaches her that she can use her bed for other ways to relax as well. I can’t tell you the amount of times I walk in her room to find her reading books with her 14-month-old sister just sitting on the bed curled up together. I couldn’t ask for more! Her bed is no longer looked at in a negative way but a place she knows she can relax and be comfortable in. THAT is the ultimate goal (in my opinion) of a floor bed.
The Benefits of Toddler Floor Beds
I did a guest post on the ‘5 Benefits of Floor Beds for Toddlers’ with a good friend Burlap & Blue so I figured I would take some of the basics from that and highlight them here:
- The first benefit of a floor bed for toddlers is probably the most obvious of reasons. One of the first worries you have as a parent is his or her child rolling out of bed after transitioning them out of a crib. This is something you don’t have to stress about with a floor bed because even if they do roll of, it’s not much of fall at all!
- Another concern I hear, “They’ll never fall asleep!” They will. It may take a week but they will figure it out and the longer effects of what they’ve learned in the process is even more beneficial to their development.
- This option can be a much cheaper option than buying a whole new bed. You can make things super cheap and simply put a mattress on the floor and just like that, you have a floor bed. Or you can get creative and make one which is still a money saving idea. There are so many possibilities when it comes to floor beds and you can truly do as much or as little aesthetically as you want! We made sure we raised ours off the ground because we plan to use them long term and we wanted to avoid mold growing underneath the mattress.
- Their newfound independence will surely be your morning’s savior! Instead of crying from their crib, or crying to get down from bed, they will be freely able to explore and play in their bedroom. This independent play is not only good for them but also GREAT for the tired parents! I can get a solid 30 minutes extra in the mornings by not needing to go grab her right away.
- Their bed becomes an inviting place where they are eager to go. Because as I mentioned before, it isn’t just a bed to my girls, it is a relaxing oasis just for them!
Floor Bed Inspiration
Here are a few dreamy floor bed inspirations!
This was my daughter’s floor bed when we first transitioned her. I used a guard rail from Ikea just because even to me this whole idea of a floor bed was new and I felt safer using it:

We quickly realized it didn’t need to be there at all and took it off after a few months:

After becoming floor bed obsessed we decided to take it step farther and have these beautiful house frame beds created by a local designer (Lumber & Letters) and bought one for each of our daughter’s rooms. We are totally and beyond obsessed!! Want to build your own House Frame Floor Bed? Check out my FREE DIY HOUSE FRAME FLOOR BED PLANS here!
And don’t think floor beds can’t be super cute for boys too because check out Grey from @greyslittlecloset’s floor bed. Talk about dreamy!!

And again, a simple mattress on the floor does the trick as well. Nothing wrong with simplicity!

Let me know your thoughts below!
Want to build your own House Frame Floor Bed? Check out my FREE DIY HOUSE FRAME FLOOR BED PLANS here!
For another fun floor bed idea for toddlers, check out this post where I share how we made our DIY Jeep floor beds for our twin boys.
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8 Comments
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I’m just wondering if you also used a sleep sack? We had planned to use one for our son until he is 3 years old because we read that kiddos can get cold when the blanket falls off. But it seems like it would keep him from being independent if he’s in a sleep sack!
We used a swaddle and then a magic merlin sleep suit before we transitioned to the floor bed. Once in the floor bed our girls were “weaned” from them!
How did you ensure your wood floors weren’t damaged with the trundle on the floor? I love the finished look of the bed with the trundle (wheels removed) but am not clear hot to protect the floor…?
Thanks!
We just put little pads on the bottom of each corner so the wood didn’t rub the bottom of the bed! It worked great!
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