Welcome to the Market!

“Buy your ice cream here!” Children all over the world love to play shop – and to build huts. With KURA bed curtain, they can do both and turn the space around the bed into fully stocked market stands. A place where the imagination can flow freely while the role-play becomes an important part in the child’s development.

The reversible KURA bed has been a favourite in our range for many years and we know that many children use it as their own, private nook where they can play and build huts. We’ve previously developed imaginative children’s tents for the bed, and the bed curtain is another best friend in the KURA family. “We wanted to develop something that can kick start the play, so we made it into three market stands full of exciting things to buy,” says Anna Edlundh, one of our product developers at Children’s IKEA.

Lots of play in a small space

The curtain can be used no matter how you place your bed and is easily attached with hook and loop fasteners on the bed frame. When it’s time to pause the play, you can slide the curtain to the side. Anna explains how the pattern stimulates the imagination and goes well with the toy food and kitchen accessories in the DUKTIG series. “Each market stand has an opening so that the children can play both on the inside and the outside, serve coffee, hand over ice cream or take turns in being a salesperson or customer.”

Role-play – just as important as fun

Playing shop is just like all other role plays, a way for children to try different roles and process what they have experienced during the day. Many times, they imitate us adults, which experts in child development usually describe as an opportunity to practice interaction with others and a way to understand the surrounding world. “Isn’t it pretty amazing that the role-play is an important part of children’s development,” says Anna. “At the same time, it’s so fun and full of imagination.”