Children's Dressing Tables

Is your child one who watches you apply makeup or hair product every day, constantly asking you to show them what to do, and itching to sit at your dressing table in front of the mirror and brush their own hair? Do they revel in a beauty routine, and prance around in front of the mirror pretending to be an adult, before heading back to their own room to play dress up with barbies and channel all that desire into the stories they create for their dolls?

Investing in a dressing table for your child is a way of giving them a real way of acting out their fantasies around adulthood, often giving them their first glimpse into a lifestyle that they will grow up nurturing until they buy a full size dressing table and fondly remember the plastic one they grew up with.

Real children’s dressing tables vs. dress up ones

The market around children’s furniture is full of different things, and while some retailers sell proper dressing tables designed for small users and children, others prefer to market children’s dressing tables as more of a toy – made from plastic, and well stocked with pretend makeup.

Which one of these you opt for will largely depend on the age of the child you are buying for, with very small children benefitting from the plastic make believe dressing tables, while older children may actually find themselves using a real dressing table – made from a more sturdy material – in the morning as they learn to do their own hair and check their appearance.

The fact is, a dressing table is a portal into a more grown up world, and members often tell us that they are surprised how quickly their child switches between viewing the dressing table as a toy, and it suddenly becoming an important part of their routine. Though this is a scary thought for some, for others it is an acknowledgement that their child is learning the value of appearing neat and tidy and well presented – an important lesson we must all learn.

What to look for in a children’s dressing table

Whether it’s real or not, a child’s dressing table should always have a working and functional mirror – else the child will not be able to see themselves reflected back. It is worth looking at the material that this is made from, with most toy dressing tables opting for the more durable plastic mirrored material rather than the real kind which can easily shatter and create hazards.

Likewise, if you are investing in a toy dressing table, be sure to check what additional features and makeup toys it comes with, as some may be small and dangerous as a swallowing hazard for very young children. We recommend removing all these small parts until your child is old enough to play with them properly.

And then there’s placement and the size of the dressing table. If you are purchasing the table as a real item of furniture for your child then it may well be deserving of a focal place in their room, but if the table is a toy you may find you want to keep it stored somewhere a little more concealed.
For the widest range of dressing tables suitable for children, head to furniture retailers and toy stores full of everything from traditional wooden creations right through to plastic dressing table toys – all suitable for most budgets and home styles.