The Adult Playground

Didi Dunphy realized that her daughter was having much more fun during the day than she was, thanks to the institution of recess. Which is why the Athens, Georgia-based designer decided a few years ago to launch a line of toys for adults, and fittingly named it Recess. “I want to make objects that facilitate bringing recess back indoors for adults,” she says, perched on a two-person swing, which sits next to an adult see-saw. The newest piece in the collection, which she recently made all-black-and-white, is the Romeo rocker, a play on the balance boards surfers use to learn to ride the waves. “It’s just for fun,” she says of the chrome-plated vinyl-upholstered object that invites you to step on it and—pun intended—rock. The custom piece is available directly from Dunphy and she estimates a price around $700.