Kids Never Asked for Mid-Century Modern Toys, But Here They Are

When I was a kid, I saw just as much play value in Furbies (villains, obviously) as I did broken tree branches (wizard staffs) in our canyon. Legos were tight, but so were planks of wood; Polly Pocket was my ride-or-die, but so was the rusty, abandoned Skilsaw in the yard. 

You don’t always need to give kids intense, light-up plastic thingymajigs that cost a lot of money to keep them entertained. They’re new here. They just learned about marshmallows, gravity, and the color red. If you’re trying to spark creativity, sometimes less is more. At least, that’s part of the ethos behind this sustainably minded toy company Piccalio, whose toys have me… jealous? Intrigued? Maybe some of the beautiful, minimalist wooden toys could have their own Nugget After Dark arc. If anything, they’ll train the obligatory child in your life, whether they’re a nephew or your BFF’s kid, to be on American Ninja Warrior. 

Peep this wooden balance board, which is ideal for honing motor skills/training the next Kelly Slater. 

… Or this extendable, acrobatic balancing beam; we can see the headline already: “Legacy of ‘Man On Wire’ Usurped by Tightrope Beast Baby.”

All of the toys have a Japandi, Werner Herzog-ascetic sensibility. This step ladder won’t clash with our Noguchi lamps, and it’s way more visually appealing than anything made for adults that we’ve seen at Home Depot. Peruse the rest of the brand’s wares here.

Piccalio is a California brand, and one that takes pride in sourcing materials for its products from ethical suppliers who believe in fair wages for workers. All of its products are made out of non-toxic, FSC certified wood, and for every order placed the brand will donate to One Tree Planted, a nonprofit combating deforestation. Most importantly, the name is “homey, but just hard enough to pronounce to intimidate the riff-raff” (to paraphrase Frasier), and the furniture reconciles one of life’s biggest problems: keeping your home decor chic, even when it's filled with babycore (no, not like that) stuff. Piccalio makes children’s furniture for people who don’t like children, and that’s why it’s, we must admit, so damn attractive. As for whether kids will get their grubby paws all over every piece…. who’s to say?

Now, go read your niece some Struwwelpeter, and get her back on that balancing board. She has a country to run one day. 

Check out the rest of Piccalio’s children’s furniture and toys here.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.