Modern design for modern kids. We heard about Kid-O from a friend with twins who drools every time she walks by the store. Kid-O seems to bring out this kind of intense emotion. While some parents find it "unaffordable" and "impractical", others rave about this unique hotspot for educational, chic, modern design.
Our tippee told us that Kid-O was just the "most beautiful new children's store" she had seen. We took this to mean that it wasn't just plastic toys and Elmo dolls. We were right. This is VERY downtown.
Owned by Lisa Mahar, Kid-O is as much an expression of how to properly raise a child as it is a store.
Having grown out of a "mother’s dedication to creating a stimulating, aesthetic environment for her newborn son," Kid-O is:
inspired by modern learning theories, [and offers] products that encourage creativity, instill independence and a desire to accomplish, and help create a sense of self.
Kid-O sells "play objects," books, artwork and nursery items, and represents designers and artists such as Enzo Mari, Harry Bertoia, Kay Bojesen, and Ray and Charles Eames. Montessori and Froebel educational items can also be found. (Thanks, Masha!)
(Re-edited from 2004-10-04 - MGR)
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Comments (3)
I'm sure that Kid-O is a wonderful store for children but my budget would not have allowed it. I was a single mother and my 2 children grew up in front of the T.V. They were latch-key kids. Sesame Street, Ren & Stimpy, The Simpsons you name it. They played with dolls, super heroes, trucks, yo-yo's, etc. Both of my children graduated from college. My son is a Surgeon and my daughter is a Psychologist and I am very proud of them. I guess raising your children in front of the T.V isn't bad after all!
Oh and by the way, I shopped at Toys R Us frequently too!
I can't begin to imagine how difficult it is to be a single mom. It's great that this woman's kids turned out so well, but that doesn't mean that raising ones children on cartoons and market driven toys is a good idea. It's also a fallacy that challenging, fun, intelligent toys have to be expensive. Some are (as are many not so intelligent toys), but Kid O has lots of things under $25, all infinitely more respectful of a child's intelligence than anything you can find at Toys R' Us. Plus the staff is really knowledgeable.