DT reader, advertiser, and mailing list drawing prize donor Mark from Sparkability took a break from his sweet kids design guru-ing to email his list of the Top Ten Most Needed Kids Products:
Cribs under $400I can think of several toy boxes and toy storage options, but seeing as how this is a brainstorming session, I'll just add my own two:
Doll/Play furniture (crib/cradle/highchair)
Cookie Jar
Baby Swing
Wagon
MP3 Kid's Players/musical toys/crib mobile/etc.
Rocking Horse
Toy Box
Toy Piano
Large scale toy trucks/cars/boats NOT plastic (a la Creative Playthings
classics)
a diaper pail and an Exersaucer-type thing. And if it'll get Danese to reissue Enzo Mari's version, I'll say a cardboard folding playscreen.
What's on your list?
After having seen the selection of play pens at Babies R Us, I say that design loving parents definitely need a better designed playpen.
Cool clothes (nice stuff, not T shirts) that don't cost more than the clothes I buy for myself.
I completely agree with the playpen and the swing.
I actually check out Sparkabiity regularly for non fugly items. The Kushies Shangri La activity mat was worth the $130 just for the fact I am not mortified to have it set up on my living room floor. Plus it doesn't have that horrific music the all do.
I'll second everything Mark said, especially the: swing and musical toys. And add:
cardboard building blocks with better pattern (how about bricks) and colors (how about cinder block gray)
single, awesome crib sheets (I don't want to be stuck with a $300 dwell "set")
big, flat modular cushions to build/play with, sleep on, make forts from.
diaper bag
step stool
lightweight toddler chair (about 18 inches tall)
i definitely second the exersaucer idea..when did it become the norm to overstimulate our babies within an inch of their life? the hideous colors, patterns, 25 toys and awful music have prevented us from buying one so far. we looked at them last week, trying to convince ourselves we could stand to own one, but we couldn't bring ourselves to do it. ps the haba dream meadow is a pretty non-offensive nice playmat thing.
More choices for cool double strollers...Particularly those that can accomodate non-twins. Phil and Ted's is the only reasonable thing we could come to agreement on at my house.