The history of design through nine children's chairs

So much time is spent thinking about adult-sized furniture that it is easy to forget the needs of children. A new exhibition at the design museum MK&G in Hamburg, 'Mini Furniture: Chairs for Children' (14 June to 1 November 2026), aims to change that.

The show looks at 130 child-centric chair designs across two centuries, with a European focus. It demonstrates how designers have taken small humans into account – in both practical and playful ways – and how those kids have engaged with chairs over time.

The designs span traditional high chairs to modernist creations bringing ‘high design’ to the younger generations. There are also chairs that are designed to support children’s social and creative development – showing that furniture can help us grow.

‘Children are not only an important part of our society, they are also the current and future users of the designed world,’ says Simon Klingler, the exhibition curator. ‘Yet design history is still predominantly told from an adult perspective – a perspective we are keen to broaden.’

‘We have observed that children would rather spend their time playing, exploring and moving around than sitting down,’ adds Klingler. ‘This is why we’re interested in chairs as companions, figures of identification and, at times, even playmates.’

The exhibition is arranged in four chapters: ‘Variety’, ‘Form: From High to Low’, ‘Function’ and ‘Colour’.

‘Variety’ displays the overall breadth of children’s chair designs, put in their historical context – from a miniature version of Marcel Breuer’s iconic B34 (3/4) cantilevered armchair (1929) to the Lou Lou Ghost (2008) by Philippe Starck, the ‘baby’ version of the Louis Ghost.

‘Form: From High to Low’ contrasts two distinctive children’s chair types rooted in practicality: the stool and the high chair. While low stools adapt to a child’s height, the high chair brings babies and toddlers up to the scale of an adult table, with a focus on safety and security.

Many high chairs show the potential for adaptability, like the well-known Tripp Trapp chair – originally designed by Peter Opsvik for Norwegian furniture-maker Stokke in 1972. ‘Its construction is so adaptable that it can be used from early childhood as a high chair through to adolescence as a regular seat, demonstrating how thoughtful design can grow alongside its users,’ says Klingler.

The exhibition’s ‘Function’ section is dedicated to chairs that go beyond seating and embrace play, while the chapter on ‘Colour’ looks to the role that colourful furniture plays in children’s wellbeing and psychological development.

‘The exhibition demonstrates that children’s chairs are far more than simply scaled-down versions of adult furniture – they constitute a distinct field of experimentation for materials, colours and design ideas,’ says Klingler.

During the process of research and curation, Klingler was surprised by how long modular and adaptable concepts have been around. ‘A hundred years ago, designers were developing high chairs that could be adjusted to different ages and needs by folding, repositioning or turning individual elements,’ he says. ‘Many of the issues we discuss today under the headings of sustainability and flexibility were already being explored in the design of children’s furniture at a very early stage.’

One of the exhibition’s key insights, says Klingler, is that good design is not an abstract concept, but an integral part of our everyday lives from the earliest stages of childhood. ‘It influences the way we perceive and engage with our surroundings, often without us even realising it.’

Here is a look at nine chairs from ‘Mini Furniture’.

Children’s high chair by Gebrüder Thonet, c. 1900

This beech, plywood and rattan high chair displays the elegant and innovative bentwood approach that Thonet became celebrated for. It features an inbuilt tray for food, that can be folded back, as well as a foot support.

Armchair by William Birch for Liberty & Co, c. 1900

This Arts and Crafts design in oak and rush shows how even long ago, children’s seating needs were being carefully considered and designed for, with a high-quality approach similar to adult furniture. Antique dealers have noted that these chairs would sometimes have inlays in the back panel depicting scenes from nursery rhymes.

Children’s ladder chair by Erich Dieckmann, c. 1925

Dieckmann, an important furniture designer of the Bauhaus alongside Marcel Breuer, designed this children’s wooden and linoleum chair in the 1920s. Rectilinear and minimalist, the chair doubles as steps that can be used to reach high shelves or surfaces.

Correction Chair, unknown maker, 1931

This English chair in mahogany is an example of how chairs were used to correct children’s posture, or otherwise harnessed as a disciplinary tool at school or home – a version of the ‘naughty step’.

Eames Elephant by Charles and Ray Eames / Eames Office, 1945

While the American husband-and-wife design duo was experimenting with moulding plywood into everyday furniture, they envisaged a group of animals for children to sit on and play with. The elephant has since become iconic, and is now manufactured by Vitra in recycled polypropylene or plywood, in a range of colours.

Rocking car by Hans Brockhage, 1950

‘I am intrigued by furniture that blurs the boundary between sitting and playing,’ says Klingler, referring to the rocking car designed by German artist Hans Brockhage. ‘These designs challenge conventional ideas of furniture by encouraging movement, interaction and imagination.’

The Rocking car is purposefully playful and inventively adaptive. Shaped to resemble a car, and move like one with its wheels, the wooden piece has climbing ladders at the front and back; once turned over, it becomes a rocking chair.

Zocker by Luigi Colani, 1972

Conceived by German industrial designer Luigi Colani, the bright orange Zocker chair reflects the bold style of the 1970s as well as the increasingly popular use of plastic for furniture. ‘I am particularly fascinated by the Pop Design creations of the 1970s,’ says Klingler. ‘Zocker conveys a sense of playful functionality while also evoking slightly nostalgic visions of childhood.’

Ergonomic studies informed the boulder-like design, resulting in a multifunctional chair that can also be used as a seated desk, a lectern-style shelf or a toy. Colani released a slightly modified version for adults a year later, but the design was first and foremost for children.

Ring of seats by Ginbande Design, 1991

This sculptural piece – which almost looks like a surrealist artwork – seats three children on an upholstered donut-like circle, complete with wooden backrests. It encourages social interaction and play – and has hopefully, over time, let to the cementing of a few friendships.

Hippo by Wolfgang Rebentisch, 1993

A colourful, geometric interpretation of a rocking horse, Hippo – designed by Rebentisch for children’s furniture maker Stokke – confidently invites play and movement.