Kids Stuff

Toddler Trend Alert. Now kids can be part of the taxidermy craze with this endearing hippopotamus. UK designer Fiona Walker’s felted-wool animal heads are all the rage in the hottest playrooms. If hippos aren’t your child’s style, go for a rabbit, elephant, unicorn, gorilla, rhino, or bull. $168. Patch NYC, Boston, (617) 426 0592, patchnyc.com

Elephelt. Leave it to Boston-based FilzFelt and its collaborator Jennifer Hill of JHill Designs to come up with this charming alternative to a traditional area rug for a kid’s room. The felted-wool elephant silhouette comes in five colors and three sizes, and with an antislip backing. Small: 2′ × 3′; medium: 4′ × 5′9″; large: 5′9″ × 9′. $220, $760, $1,200. FilzFelt, Boston, (800) 482-7777, www.filzfelt.com

Orange Aid. A splash of color makes ducduc’s Campaign Crib anything but boring. You can feel good, too, that it’s constructed of sustainably sourced hardwoods and boasts low-VOC finishes. 57½″L × 38″H × 30¾″W. $1,795. Baby Koo, Newton, Mass., (617) 467-5860, baby-koo.com

Light Up Their Lair. With Jonathan Adler’s adorable lion nightlight, there’s no reason to be afraid of the dark. The matte white porcelain light comes with a five-watt bulb. $48. Jonathan Adler, Boston, (617) 437-0018, and Chestnut Hill, Mass., (617) 232-0502, jonathanadler.com

Hang It Up. In the event that this plea goes unheeded, the Charles and Ray Eames’s 1953-designed Hang It All looks terrific on the wall, even when unadorned. 19¾″W × 6½″D × 14½″H. $200. Lekker Home, Boston, (877) 753-5537, lekkerhome.com

Winning Combinations. Nonbreakable, colorful, and graphic, this melamine tableware, which comes in three patterns and colors, is available as a five-piece setting that includes a plate, bowl, sippy cup, cup, and spoon. $40/set. Templeton General, Boston, (857) 362-7289

The Classics. It’s never too soon to learn about good design. Case in point, Harry Bertoia’s child’s-size Diamond chair, designed in 1952. It’s available in four colors of Ultrasuede (shown in Placid). 24½″W × 22¾″D × 24″H; seat height 11¾″. $1,036. Knoll, Boston, (617) 695-0220, knoll.com

Good Nights. The Cabana Upholstered Twin Bed, with its hardwood frame and green gingham headboard and footboard, is great-looking enough to guarantee a night of sweet dreams. $2,565 with canopy, $2,065 without. Magic Beans, five Boston-area locations, (617) 264-2326, mbeans.com

Family Affair. Designed in the Berkshires by Dash & Albert, these poufs are great for building a fort. And when the need to put your feet up strikes, just remind the kids they have to share. Shown here in tangerine and white, the pouf comes in a host of colors and can be used indoors or out. 25″W × 23″L × 17″H. $275. Nest, Littleton, N.H., (603) 259-3280, nestoflittleton.com

Flower Patch Kids What kid wouldn’t like to host a tea party, play a board game, or take a nap in Wolfum’s Floral Pop Tepee? Made from organic cotton twill with solid maple, hand-painted poles, the tepee is big enough to let adults join in the fun. 4′W × 6′H. $325. Blanche + Mimi, Portland, Maine, (207) 774-3900, blancheandmimi.com, and Altiplano, Brattleboro, Vt., (802) 257-1562, altiplano.com

“Decorate a kid’s room?” you ask. Sounds counterintuitive, right? Childhood passes in the blink of an eye, so why agonize over a bassinet? In a few months it’s a crib, and before you know it the toddler needs a real bed. And wait until the first time you see a “No Adults Allowed Without
Permission” sign on your progeny’s door. You’ll turn on your heels, with deeply hurt feelings, convinced that it was all for naught. But really, decorating a kid’s room is all about fun. When else can you think about a carpet shaped like a zoo animal, consider a tepee in the bedroom, or imagine sleeping under a green gingham canopy? Frilly and pink are not the only choices for girls’ rooms, and boys have more options than sheets festooned with cowboys or astronauts. Depending on the child (and your taste), there’s a whole host of products to choose from. Decorating a kid’s room? It’s practically child’s play.