NEW YORK • Just got your bonus? There is still time today to buy a Christmas present if you want to pamper someone who is a parent or if you have a young niece or nephew yourself.
If you need tips, look to Pinterest, which has released its list of top trends for next year.
According to the social media site, these are some things parents and kids will be coveting in the coming year, based on how often people search for and pin them.
FURNITURE THAT GROWS UP WITH BABY
Rather than buying a bunch of baby-centric furniture that a child will outgrow in a few years, new parents are trying to plan for the long game with pieces that can be repurposed in an older kid's room or elsewhere in the home.
More sophisticated chairs, dressers that can double as temporary changing tables and neutral palettes are all part of the trend that has pins for "mature" or "modern" nurseries up by 85 per cent.
Along the same lines, pins of "wall decals" were up 219 per cent.
They are an easy and inexpensive way to quickly take your child's room from a safari theme to a Harry Potter scene, and when you are done, you just peel them off to return to plain walls.
POM POM CHEER
Pins related to "pom pom decor" are up 444 per cent. The colourful yarn embellishments can be used on mobiles, curtains, bedding or pillows.
They are a fun way to add a bit of whimsy to a child-friendly space.
You can get as quirky as you want and even use them as fashion accessories on the kid.
WOODEN TOYS
A more environmentally aware generation of parents is looking for toys and baby products that make less of an impact on the planet.
Forget the inexpensive plastic toys that are quickly broken or abandoned.
Searches for toys made from wood are up 173 per cent.
Pinterest searches for eco-friendly clothing climbed even more, by 750 per cent, as reusable diapers, recycled clothes and sustainable textiles have become more popular.
CALMING BLANKETS
Long used by people with autism and sensory processing issues to calm down and regroup after a stressful day, weighted blankets have followed fidget spinners and found a niche with the general population.
Parents are turning to them to help kids wind down and drift off to sleep. After a year like 2017, maybe adults are drawn to their soothing effects as well.
Saves of "weighted blankets" are up by 259 per cent, Pinterest says.
CHEW ON ACCESSORIES
Babies will chew on anything they can get their hands on, particularly when they are teething.
Because mums spend so much time with them firmly planted on their hips, they become a prime target for gnawing.
Mums are turning the practical need to give their child something acceptable to gum into a fashion statement, as pins of chunky wooden "teething necklaces" are up by 146 per cent.
MAKE SPACE FOR FORTS
Sure, kids love to throw a blanket over a couple of chairs to create an impromptu hideaway.
But forts have grown up and are increasingly a more permanent part of the decorating landscape.
Saves for "forts" are up 108 per cent.
WASHINGTON POST
