10 Timeless Nursery Items That Will Grow With Your Kids

This fluffy polyester polymer cloud on an iron frame will mesmerise them during their newborn days … and add a note of “the sky's the limit” when they’re applying for college. We love how this takes the typical nursery cloud theme and gives it a new, modern spin.

“A great, upholstered rocking chair is a nursery item that I recommend splurging on, as it can give you longevity to be used throughout the years,” says designer McCall Dulkys, founder of e-design studio Interiors By McCall and mother of twin 2-year-olds and a 3.5-year-old. “A well-made, quality rocking chair or glider can be taken from a nursery into toddler and even teenage rooms.” This one is made of FSC Certified Wood and is (phew!) stain resistant.

No wonder the Nugget — a transformable, machine-washable “sofa” made of low-VOC foam—has had a waiting list in the past. “Furniture that can be configured into various shapes and functions is great for growing with your children and for serving multiple purposes throughout their lives and activities such as play, rest, reading, et cetera,” says Los Angeles designer Joanna Heart, mother of a 6-year-old who recently appeared on Netflix’s Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo. Honestly? I want to curl up on that thing myself.

I love the dye-free European sheepskin we bought for our nursery — it was cuddly for tummy time play sessions; adds a little sumptuousness when it’s tossed over the back of the glider; and I know it will live furrrever. This version is Oeko-Tex certified to be free of harmful chemicals, and comes in poetically pretty hues like “fog” and “ivory.”

Toddlers can crawl up on this pouf, and parents can use it as a much-needed extra seat during story hour. And — because it’s crafted of hard-wearing leather — you can easily spot-wash it clean, whether you’re cleaning off bebe barf or the too-much-pizza-after-soccer kind.

You’ll need a desk lamp with a strong glow to read “How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?” on repeat. Why can’t it be an Art Deco-inspired number in polished nickel your kid will later want to steal for their dorm room?

Designers swear by gauzy draperies to cast a room in a soft, pretty light. I love these versions, from the new Gap Home for Wal-Mart collection, because they’re made of organic cotton (hallelujah!) and Oeko-Tex certified to be free of the bad chemicals.

In the days of COVID-19 (ugh) and forest fire smoke (double ugh), air purifiers can bring a little peace of mind, whether you’re fretting about baby lungs or tween ones. This one cleans the air in rooms of up to 361 square feet. Talk about breathing easy!

Why shove your stash of Caldecott Award winners on a bookshelf that can only be described as unsightly, when options like this exist? Sturdy cast iron construction means this will last decades; just be sure to anchor it properly to the wall for safety.

Yes, the white noise issuing from this color-changing gizmo is handy when your baby finally gets to sleep … so you can binge your latest streaming addiction without worrying about waking them up. But its sounds — ranging from rain to ocean to a dryer tumbling — also make perfect background noise for their high school cram sessions.