The Best Kids’ Desks 2020 | The Strategist | New York Magazine

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Interested in the comings and goings of baby supplies (she is a new mother) and the decoration of the house. Before working as a strategist, she was a writer for Curbed and before that she was an assistant to Wes Anderson.

Interested in the comings and goings of baby supplies (she is a new mother) and the decoration of the house. Before working as a strategist, she was a writer for Curbed and before that she was an assistant to Wes Anderson.

Although the epidemic is still very imperfect, it is still a necessary substitute for face-to-face classes for many people. For homeschooling kids, Julia Niego is a certified education therapist and consultant

, Saying that one of the most important things parents and caregivers can do is to create a

"Serve students and respond to their needs." She continued, building a dedicated school space not only helps children focus on their homework, but also helps them "prepare for what is about to happen"-for example, there may be more More time is spent on distance learning.

Of course, the center of any work area is the desk. Niego stated that anyone who wants to buy a desk for a child should start with "the age and growth of the child and the work they have to do in this field."

, Is a neuropsychologist and a teacher at the Teachers College of Columbia University. "A young student might focus on storage locations

"She said, "Older children need laptops, other electronic devices, and a place where they can be plugged in. "Size is also important. "The table that my 16-year-old likes to use is different from the table that my 9-year-old uses," said Andrea Thorpe, a 12-year-old three-year-old home student and the founder of the website.

. And don’t underestimate your child’s preferences. "They should have a say, and they should even design or create desks or workspaces," said Laurie Block Spigel, a homeschool parent who runs the website, a writing teacher.

. "Personalized desks can hold what they need, and

, it's the best. "

To help you find the best desk for your child to use at home school, we talked with Niego, Thorpe, Hafeez, Spigel and 12 other experts (including teachers, educators and parents) about their favorite children's desk. Continue reading their choices, we sorted them by age group from preschoolers to high school students.

Even the youngest learner needs a workplace. Tze Chun, 3-year-old mother, founder/CEO of online gallery

, Chose this curved wooden table and chair from ECR4Kids for her daughter. As it happens, Chun said she actually found it from a strategist,

Wrote an article about it looking like an expensive work from Herman Miller. Chun said: "We are looking for tables and chairs for our living room, which can live with other furniture without sticking out like thumbs." Since the middle of the living room is the best place for her daughter's work space, Chun said, The appearance of the table is very discrete, coupled with the fact that she can become a coffee table and two low stools (or small side tables) at night. The children did not use it, which made it a breeze. She added that it is important that it is a substitute for her daughter's desk. "Whether sitting or standing, building the puzzle is a high level for her. For the past six months, she has been using it as a'workstation' when the Montessori school closed."

, A family student, also

, Is an online community for black mothers. She chose this set of furniture for her 3-year-old son from IKEA. Her son likes to make handicrafts and various types of hands-on activities. She told us: "I need a desk that is durable, easy to install, and most importantly easy to clean," she added, and Wright checked all her boxes. "I know I will go to school at home, and we will spend a lot of time on this table, which is economical and simple for our needs."

For something similar (but not chairs),

, Is the mother of a 5-year-old boy, and is "

Recommend IKEA's Flisat table. Fenton said that although she does not own it, she has always been thinking about her son. She likes how the top of the solid pine desk is cleverly designed with two movable panels. You can put a storage box under it so that you can store children. Supplies. Just below their work surface. Just slide two

(Sold separately) Put it on the table and your child now has a place to store the things that every school needs every day.

For another super simple option,

, The chief product designer of Vox Media, used this cheap table to fold it into a foldable half for his 4-year-old and 6-year-old children. It is smaller than your standard folding table, Garcia said, which makes it ideal for apartment families. He also likes how its design makes it super portable. He said: "The table doesn't have much weight, which allows us to take it anywhere and move it from one place to another." Although Garcia promised to keep the children safe, he did think it was. Most effective for young students. He said: "Our 4-year-old is only doing reading and writing of books, cards and lights, so he doesn't need much space now."

In her daughter's bedroom, Chun owns this table and chair from Crate and Barrel as a workstation dedicated to handicrafts. "We let her go

Supplies in the middle; she said, adding that the table worked very well, and she even bought a second table when her daughter went to grandma's house. She assured that the chair was light but strong, adding that the set "occupies a very compact space and the table has no sharp corners to worry about." In addition: "Glue stick residue and crayons are easy to wipe off."

Architecture and design critic

Said that before her daughter started using Elfa desks as her home desks, she had used Elfa desks for many years. (Although Lange’s daughter used it at the age of 9, Lange said it might be best for children under 7 because the desktop is very long but not very wide, so as the child gets older, it becomes more and more difficult Holds more supplies that may be needed.) It has a melamine table top with rounded corners and six mesh drawers, which Lange promises to hold. You can even add a roll of kraft paper to the table top so that your child can always paint on it.

According to Hafeez, choosing a desk that grows up with your elementary school-age children is a smart investment. She suggested that “buy an adjustable desk with various height settings” means “as your child’s needs change, you don’t have to change the desk.” She likes this desk and chair set (according to the manufacturer, it is 10 Designed for children under the age of) is adjustable and therefore ergonomic, telling us that this makes it ideal for painting and homework. It has an inclined table top like on a drawing table, which can also be raised to a table top. (The legs of the chair are also adjustable.) According to Hafez, the moderate price is another advantage. She said: "Even if the child goes back to school in person, it will be an ideal place to study and do homework." Niego, he also recommends something

, It’s a good idea to agree to invest in things that your child will grow up in elementary school.

Melissa Young, engineering manager at Vox Media, provided her 5-year-old twins with a similar but above table. (Technically, she has two, one for each child.) Young said that although she plans to use the twins well into their elementary school, she still plans to make the twins tall enough for her to use, too ( She is 5 feet 3 inches). She said: "I hope the desk can grow up with the children." This is larger than the Einstein desk above, and has both an inclined part and a flat area on the table top. She added that the table was “very sturdy enough to hold their materials and laptop.”

If you want something adjustable, the IKEA desk recommended by Niego is a more affordable choice. She said: "This is just a simple table, but as the child grows, it can be adjusted to three heights." By simply turning the knob on the leg, you can have three different heights-23 inches, 26 inches and 28 inches. For an additional $20, you can get a storage unit specially prepared for the table, which can stand on top of it.

Like the IKEA Påhl desk, the Pottery Barn Kids desk recommended by Niego can be expanded to include a kitchenware (shown here with the desk, but

). She said: "It is designed as a simple desk with some drawers and shelves, but it can also grow with children." For students, this is a good choice because they go from elementary school to high school. When the height of the desk is fixed, pairing it with an adjustable chair means that your child can raise or lower himself when needed. Niego added: "There are many hidden storage spaces and entry points for managing computer cables, etc., so as they enter the teenage years, it can indeed develop."

"When we were looking for a desk, we wanted something that was neutral, sturdy, and beneficial to our older children in the 7 and 10 age groups, who are slightly older."

, He is a strategic marketer and also

. She said that this table satisfies all these conditions and pointed out that it can also be used with many types of chairs to make it more versatile. "We use yoga balls, stools and ordinary chairs, which are a good height for everyone," Cologne said.

Stony Pak, a professor of education, is also the mother of 5th and 2nd grade boys. He also emphasized the importance of having a designated work space for every child, if possible. She said: “A desk with pencils and papers in a quiet place is more conducive to homework.” Pak’s 5th grade students use IKEA’s Alex desk. She likes its small footprint and two available Slim drawer with plenty of storage space. Another nice feature told us is the desk’s built-in cable management system, which allows her son to easily store and use the charger for all the devices he needs.

Park said: “One of the benefits of homeschooling is that children must be free and flexible to choose where to work.” She added that exercise and freedom can help students stay involved. If your child is working on a laptop and wants to be able to jump around in your home, Niego recommends that you use ECR4Kids, an ingenious portable laptop. It is a piece of polypropylene that integrates a built-in seat and a connected desk, making it ideal for travel when children may not have access to the work surface. Because your weight keeps it upright, it can be easily used on the floor or on a chair. Niego said this is suitable for elementary school-age students, but of course it also applies to older students, because they may do a lot of work on the computer. She said: "They will focus more on this kind of sitting and concentrated work."

For older elementary school kids (and their parents) who like something more fashionable, Niego likes Crate and Barrel’s Paxson desk, which she says is small and portable. It has an open shelf to store items that your child may need to get more often, and a drawer to better hide other items out of sight.

Lora Appleton, founder of Children’s Design Gallery

Said that one of her favorite desks for children aged 2 years and older is Bludot's wooden storage table, which her son uses at home. She said: "He is in sixth grade and can meet all his needs." "His Chromebook and desktop camera have enough space, and there is enough space to write with a pen and pencil." She added that it's A single drawer provides a moderate amount of storage space.

As many of our experts have pointed out, if you buy a desk that can grow with your child, they can use it from elementary school to adolescence. But for those who might buy something for their teenager's first desk, we have heard that experts think it is very useful for older kids. Family student Emily Nicolson said that she used IKEA's two smallest desks for IKEA's 9th and 7th grade sons. In her experience, avoiding too many drawers or shelves actually helps the organization at this age. She said: “All the children do is to organize books and trash without cleaning,” which is why she likes these two tables with small drawers. These drawers can provide enough storage space without becoming Bottomless pit. If you are looking for something more compact, Micke has a hole for easy wire management, which is a good choice, and Besta Burs has a larger working space that can be expanded.

Retired teacher Gaby Lewis (the mother of Kathy Lewis, senior editor of strategist) said that having enough surface area is very important, especially for senior students who rely more on laptops and iPads (among other supplies) when they are homeschooling. . She pointed out to us that this table is an option for young students. She pointed out that in any space used as a home classroom, "the table is wide enough to be spread out, but it cannot accommodate too much space." Lewis likes that it has two drawers and a "shelf underneath so that your book does not take up too much space on the work surface." She said that the fact of wood is also a benefit: "According to research, the more nature you can bring to your work space, the better it will be for your mental space."

Senior students who study at home may get the most opinions at the table, which is why Hafeez recommends this mode as an ideal choice for "adolescents who develop a sense of personal style while studying at home." She said the sleek outline and golden hardware of the desk make it look clean and modern, while its spacious surface and seven drawers make it versatile and provide plenty of storage space. Its function adds a very friendly built-in power board with four sockets, which should be enough for all their school equipment. The retailer said that although it can be ordered now, it will not be shipped until late January to early February.

Although it may be too much for some people, anyone who wants to design a sustainable home workplace for older students can consider such work as a dual duty. Lauren Fisher, the chief legal officer of Vox Media, said that her 13-year-old daughter (currently in 8th grade) likes their splurge on the tall bed and desk combination, telling us that “all-in-one furniture can basically make a room feel like Two rooms." (Of course, those two rooms are both a bedroom and a classroom.) "We like the full bed in the desk area to make the desk area feel more like a dedicated work area, a bit like a clubhouse," Fisher Added. . This is definitely an investment project, but the current selling price makes its price drop slightly. This work can also be in

, If you want to further customize it, we think the knobs on the drawer can also be easily replaced.