IKEA050

Sweden's favorite home furnishings store, IKEA, has taken the US by storm. And the only deterrent to getting inexpensive children's furniture is the crowd. If you persevere - and plot your trip for any day but Saturday - the pay-off is not just simple, contemporary furniture, but high-quality toys as well. No surprise that the store favors the wooden variety.

While parents shop, kids can hang out in the free, fully supervised children's play area as long as they are 37"-54" tall and fully toilet trained. If children are accompanying mom and dad through the store, they are invited to touch any product, and the in-store restaurant serves up fairly inexpensive breakfast, lunch, and snacks when tummies start to growl. The restaurant opens 30 minutes before the store opens, and closes 30 minutes before the store closes. The children's playroom closes one hour before the store closes.

In an effort the make a positive environmental impact, the store doesn't offer any plastic, disposable bags. Customers are asked to bring their own bags or purchase one of the store's inexpensive, reusable bags. The store also recycles; customers can bring in their plastic bags, batteries, and CFL bulbs for recycling.