If parents or older siblings have desks, nothing is more natural than for your newly mobile little one to want a toddler desk and chair. Even if your child is the first, a desk and chair give him or her a place to make those first efforts at finger painting, putting together puzzles or making plastic jungle animals rampage across its top.
Of course, toddlers are still at that age where exploring the world includes tasting everything. That means that any paint or stain used on your child’s desk and chair should be non-toxic. If the desk and chair are of an indeterminate age, it is not a bad idea to sand down wood furniture and repaint it using certified paints such as AFM Safecoat or Lullaby Baby Nursery paints. If you are purchasing handcrafted items, be sure to ask about the paint, stain or glaze that was used. A toddler desk and chair can also make a good station for mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks.
A toddler desk and chair can also be made of molded plastic or can be a department store themed set that reflects your youngster’s favorite cartoon or movie character. The current “in” character can change from year to year, but some of the younger set retains a fondness for favorites even into high school – at which time the characters fall more into the “camp” and “funny” range. Classic Disney characters or even more modern animations such as “Frozen” can sometimes fit this description.
If the set is carefully chosen, the pieces can become a corner arrangement for favorite stuffed animals or dolls or even a place for collectibles. If the original owner is not too attached to it, sturdy furniture can be passed to the next toddler in the family.