Cool Shades for Little Sun Fans

Just out in time for summer are Merri-Shades, unique soft-frame sunglasses for tots ages 6 months to 3 years so they can enjoy fun in the sun without harmful rays affecting their eyes.

The frames are made of foam and tricot with bendable Lexan lenses that filter out 95% of the ultraviolet A and B rays, says David Edelman, president of Sheridan Infant Products, the manufacturer. The cloth headband is secured with an adjustable Velcro closure, ensuring a snug and comfortable fit. If the frames and headband get wet, gently squeeze them and they will return to their original form.

Edelman says the sunglasses were created by designer Gail Anstey of the by Design company, who came up with the idea “after watching parents struggle to keep hats on their babies to prevent the sun from shining into their eyes.”

Edelman says that Merri-Shades qualify as general-purpose sunglasses under the American National Standards Institute’s testing standards, and that they meet federal toxicity and flammability standards.

Merri-Shades ($6.99) come in four colors or combinations: lavender, yellow, aqua/yellow and blue/red. Locally, you can find them at Fedco, Toys R Us, Target and Marriott Hotel gift shops. To locate a store in your area, contact Sheridan Infant Products, 699 Hertel Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14207; (800) 225-5215.

Keep ‘Em Snugly Under the Covers

If your child tosses, turns and throws off the covers while sleeping, you may want to consider Sleeper Keeper, a custom-designed sheet that keeps children covered.

Sleeper Keeper’s top and bottom sheets are sewn together at the foot portion and halfway up each side, making it one sheet instead of two. At the top, there are 18-inch Velcro openings and a snap on each side to allow a child to get in and out of bed easily. Two pleats in the middle of the sheet provide ample room inside for a child to turn over without throwing off the sheet.

Sleeper Keeper, made of percale, was designed by Luana Staudinger, a Newport Beach mother of two tossing-and-turning children. The sheet, available only in a twin-bed size, comes in a box print of blue, yellow, green and red, in those solid colors and pink. You can order Sleeper Keeper ($24.95, plus $3 shipping and handling) from Sleeper Keeper, P.O. Box 10021, Newport Beach, Calif. 92660; (714) 262-1474.

A Pegboard Hook That Stays Put

At last there’s a Pegboard hook that doesn’t fall out when you remove something from it. Sta-Put Color Pegs are locking hooks for 1/4-inch Pegboard.

Made of nontoxic molded plastic, the pegs come in three styles--angle, round or tool hook--and are available in red, blue or yellow. Each hook holds up to 10 pounds. If you want to move the hooks, they pop out with a quick pull.

Sta-Put Color Pegs ($2.59 per 10-piece bag, plus $1 shipping and handling) can be ordered from Gaylord A. Sisk Marketing, 21239 Cypress Way, Lynnwood, Wash. 98036; (206) 776-5340.