Basic, well-constructed children's furniture. That's how we would describe the offerings at Community Playthings. This online-only store is not overtly designy or modern. You have to click around and use your eye...but isn't that the fun of it? The store's focus is supplying furnishings to childcare centers, hence the emphasis on safety and durability of all its pieces. All the furnishings have a decidedly commercial style without being overly-institutional.
Since Community Playthings caters to schools, libraries and daycares you can count on everything being made to last - hence the prices may seem higher than what you're used to (although some of these well-made items seem like a bargain). Here are five items we think work great in homes:
• Boot Locker ($155) - this piece could have many uses in playrooms, bedrooms or the family mudroom or entryway.
• Me-Do-It Chair ($52) - we haven't gotten to the bottom of why toddlers like to drag chairs around, sit in them for a bit, and then drag them somewhere else, but these chairs are just the right size for it.
• Small Dump Truck ($57) - we like the simplicity of the plain wood so your kids can use their imagination to decide what kind of truck this might be and what it might be carrying.
• Classroom Desk ($210) - this small desk is perfectly sized for smaller homes while still providing ample storage for a few books and supplies.
• Wheelbarrow ($129) - we wish we could harness this willingness to work and haul things around later in life to help out with yardwork, but kids sure do find wheelbarrows fun.
Visit Community Playthings.
(Updated from a post originally written by Janie on 2.9.07)