The inevitable flipside of "Hey, he can stand up!" is, of course, "D'oh, he just fell down!" And given the crucial role the coffee table plays in American babies' cruising skills development, it's probably the single-most fallen-upon piece of furniture in the house.
Which is why a couple of Southern California parents came up with the ABC Fun Pad, which is essentially a thick, coffee table cozy. The elastic edges give the ABCFP a fitted sheet/mattress pad vibe, but don't worry, it's reversible to match [sic] any decor and to provide hours of bonk-resistant fun.
On one side it's a plain, washable canvas suitable for drawing--a feature normally only found on high-end designer tables costing $8460 more. And on the other is a playmat with an aerial view of a town which can give your child either the god-like POV of the baby-faced sun on the Teletubbies, or will help nurture her inner real estate developer by letting her imagine which neighborhood she'll raze for her next mall.
But wait, there's more. "Spruce up your coffee table at those special events [such as the simulated, drink-less Super Bowl party pictured at left] with the ABC Fun Pad, replacing fitted tablecloths. It's great for H'orderves, chips & dip or warm tray items. Guests can place food and drinks on your table without having to look for a coaster or towel."
The ABC Fun Pad is currently available in one size, 45x72 inches, which either "fits more than 75% of all coffee tables" or is "Guaranteed to fit!" [And before you get all Judge Wapner about it, for purposes of 100% money-back guarantees, the Fun Pad drooping over the edges of the coffee table in this picture "fits."]
The ABC Fun Pad is $39.99, plus shipping, free (non-reversible) giftwrapping [abcfunpads.com via dt reader "john", possibly almost certainly pictured above]
So, the idea is to teach your kid to draw on the tablecloth?