A Guide To Sweden’s Best Products For Kids, Inspired By The Swedish Royal Family Inline
Photo: Courtesy of minirodini.com1/14MINI RODINI
Illustrator Cassandra Rhodin’s Mini Rodini line, founded 10 years ago, is one of the most fun, and fashion-forward, around.
Alaska baby overall, $297, minirodini.com
Photo: Courtesy of kalikatoys.com2/14KALIKÅ
Kalikå’s brightly painted wooden toys look like the ones that appear in children’s classic storybooks. For the past 20 years the company, working with Fair Play, has also sold soft toys handmade in Russia by parents of children with disabilities, a cooperative arrangement that allows families to remain together at home.
Kalikå wagon, about $73, kalikatoys.com
Photo: Courtesy of mykonfetti.com3/14NOWALI
Swedish children have been taking their first steps in Nowali moccasins since 1950, when Åke Johannson started the company at the family farm. They are still knitted in Sweden, using yarns free of toxic chemicals and dyes.
Nowali moccasins, $33, mykonfetti.com
Photo: Courtesy of svenskttenn.se4/14SVENSKT TENN
Svenskt Tenn’s elegant flagship is a must-see in Stockholm. Established in 1924, the interiors company employed the expat Austrian designer Josef Frank, whose work, like that of the firm’s founder, Estrid Ericson, has become synonymous with the Swedish Modern aesthetic—despite its decorative aspects. Ericson’s elephants have gained entry to the nursery with the help of Ingegerd Råman, who adapted them for tablewear.
Elefant bowl, about $28, svenskttenn.se; plate, about $33, svenskttenn.se; small cup, about $24, svenskttenn.se
Photo: Courtesy of bolin.se5/14W.A. BOLIN
This company has been court jeweler to five tsars and three Swedish kings since its founding in St. Petersburg in 1791 by the Swedish Bolin family. Its silver children’s cutlery would make a princely gift indeed.
Sterling silver fork, spoon, and knife for children, about $700, bolin.se
Photo: Courtesy of Ikea6/14IKEA
No family visit to Ikea would be complete without a visit to the cafeteria for some meatballs, or a stop in the children’s section, where you’ll always spot the company’s easel, found in playrooms around the world.
Måla soft-wood easel, $15, ikea.com
Photo: Courtesy of dwell.com7/14PLAYSAM
Whether kids or their parents like the clean, aerodynamic lines of Playsam’s racers is up for debate. That they are heirlooms of the future is not. Its Saab Roaster, designed by Ulf Hanses, is based on the very first Saab, prototype 92001, created by Sixten Sason, the industrial designer also responsible for the look of the Hasselblad camera.
Its Saab Roadster, $500, dwell.com
Photo: Courtesy of woodentoystore.com8/14BRIO
Brio began selling branded toys in 1934 and became a purveyor to the Royal Court of Sweden in the 1940s. Its popular wooden dachshund rolled into the line in 1958. It took decades, but a papa-size version recently joined the pack.
Brio Dachshund Pull-Along, large about $83, and small $18, woodenstore.so.uk and brightbeam.com
Photo: Courtesy of estellethild.com9/14ESTELLE & THILD
Pernilla Rönnberg’s organic skin-care line, launched in 2007, was named for her daughters and includes many temptations for mothers as well as babies.
Biocare Baby All Weather Cream, $18, estellethild.com; Biocare Baby Comforting Body Oil, $20, estellethild.com; Biocare Baby Mild Shampoo, $12, estellethild.com
Photo: Courtesy of littlejalo.com10/14LITTLE JALO
For Marie Sammeli, mother of four, necessity—and cold Scandinavian winters—bred invention. When she couldn’t find the sort of footmuff she wanted to keep her kids warm, she made one, and from there developed a line of luxurious organic products for children in a neutral Scandinavian palette.
White ecological lambskin footmuff, about $459, earflap hat, about $94, and mittens, about $94, little.jalo.com
Photo: Courtesy of livlyclothing.com11/14LIVLY
When Lisa Carrol’s twins, Liv and Lilly, were born prematurely and highly allergic, her doctor recommended she dress them in pima cotton, which became her obsession and propelled this onetime pro basketball player into children’s design. Currently in expansion mode, Livly just opened a Tribeca boutique.
Lively Sleeping Cutie Coverall, $44, livlyclothing.com
Photo: Courtesy of garboandfriends.com12/14GARBO & FRIENDS
Garbo & Friends, founded by Susann Karlsson Nemirovsky with two friends, is a detail- and print-focused line made with sustainability in mind.
Garbo & Friends Bows sleeping bag, about $94, garboandfriends.com; cotton percale duvet set, about $44, garboandfriends.com
Photo: (From left) Courtesy of finelittleday.com; Courtesy of amazon.com; Courtesy of amazon.com13/14A selection of children’s books was given to little Prince Nicolas as a christening gift by the Swedish parliament and government. Among the country’s most famous children’s authors are Elsa Beskow and Astrid Lindgren, inventor of that redheaded imp Pippi Longstocking. Newer on the scene is Jockum Nordström, a respected contemporary artist whose kids’ books are becoming classics. Although Vart ska du? (Where are you going?) is in Swedish, this book can be enjoyed for the images alone.
Vart ska du? by Jockum Nordström, about $22, finelittleday.com; Princess Sylvie, by Elsa Beskow, $14, amazon.com; Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, $26, amazon.com
Photo: Courtesy of Nils Olsson14/14NILS OLSSON
Painted wooden Dala horses are symbols of Sweden and as popular among locals as tourists. Since 1922 the Nils Olsson company has been selling all sizes of decorative Dala horses; newer are these charmers for kids on the run.
Nils Olsson hobbyhorse, about $68, katrinetorp@malmo.se
