Transitioning to a Toddler Bed with Disney Baby

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When I was pregnant with my first baby, I meticulously put together the perfect nursery, and loved finding just the right products to put in just the right places. After all, making sure baby is comfortable, warm, and happy is a Mama’s job!

Seven years later, all three of my kids have enjoyed that same nursery, though it’s made its way through four houses! They’ve shared the same crib, changing table, even the same diaper pail! And always the same theme: Under The Sea.

Now that our youngest is two, and started climbing out of his crib, we’ve helped him make the transition from crib to toddler bed. And we even managed to stick with the theme, by getting him the new Disney Baby crib bedding, Finding Nemo: A Day at the Sea.

Today I’m going to share some tips for transitioning baby from crib to toddler bed, including how to know if they are ready, how to prepare for the transition, and how to make the transition smooth for baby and parents!

Transitioning from Crib to Toddler Bed

Step 1. Are they ready?

There’s no magic age when kids should make the change from a crib to a toddler bed, but once they start to climb over the crib rails and launch themselves to the floor, it’s probably time!

Our oldest started flinging himself from the crib at a very young age, whereas our two younger kids stayed in their cribs until their 2nd birthdays.

There’s no reason to rush the transition- if they are staying in their crib, enjoy that for as long as you can! Once they are in a toddler bed, they have the freedom to get out!

Step 2. Is the room ready?

Once your little guy or gal is able to climb out of his bed, that means he or she can access everything in the room. You’ll need to “toddler-proof” just like you “baby-proofed” once your baby started crawling.

Make sure outlets are covered, breakables are put away, and heavy furniture is secured to the wall. Check for choking hazards, including strings from window blinds and small toys. Assume that your child will wake up before you and get into anything he or she can!

Step 3. How about the rest of the house?

Will your toddler be able to get out of his room? Is there a staircase that might need a baby gate at the top? Think about what kind of surveillance or safety measures you might need to take in order to feel comfortable falling asleep. Maybe it’s time to set up the baby monitor again, so that you will know when he is awake.

Step 4. Convert the crib or buy a bed?

If you bought a convertible crib, you can reassemble it as a toddler bed. With our first two kids, by the time they were ready to leave their cribs, we already had the next baby on the way! So instead of converting the crib, we left it ready for the next baby and bought a bed for the toddler.

Now that our youngest, Harrison, is done with his crib, we decided to keep using it for his toddler bed. It was a fairly easy change to make- the springs had to be put to the lowest position and the front rail taken off.

Step 5. Make baby comfortable

Now that you’re convinced baby is safe and has her brand-new, big kid bed, the fun part starts! Toddlers can have pillows and blankets and stuffed animals in their beds, unlike small babies, so you can have fun picking out some bedding together.

And here’s a great money-saving tip- toddler beds use the same size mattress as a crib, so you can use the same mattress, and the same crib bedding that you already had!

We bought Harrison some new bedding to go with his new big boy bed, and I was thrilled to find the Finding Nemo crib bedding collection from Disney Baby, because it fit right in with his “under the sea” theme!

The collection can be used in a crib or a toddler bed, and we bought the set that includes the comforter, fitted sheet, and dust ruffle. We found the set in the baby section at Walmart, with several other new Disney Baby crib bedding sets.

Additional items can be purchased from the Disney Baby collection at Walmart to keep the theme going throughout the nursery, from wall decor, mobiles, rugs, and more!

We are proud of our big boy and love seeing him grow bigger every day!

Do you have a Disney Baby nursery? Any tips for transitioning to a toddler bed? I’d love to hear your thoughts!