I LOVE searching through Etsy...so when they asked me to be a Featured Buyer and take part in the Handmade Kids series, I was honored. I gave some of my picks for the family friendly home. If you have never tried an Etsy stroll, I highly recommend it! Check out my piece here. Also, be sure to check the new Handmade Kids features regularly!
These Talking Japanese Watches will teach you and your child what time it is in Japan and how to say it!
Little Odd Forest has a wonderful collection of playful things. I am a huge fan of their huggables as well as the Lovely Day Plate. They both are just the right size for the pint-sized eaters and toy handlers.
Back in February of this year, I went to the Kids.Modern show in London. I was happy to run into Bugge, a multi-shaped structure for kids. Back then, there was no web resource for this piece.....until now. (thanks babygadget!)
STRANGEco has joined forces with The Museum of Modern Art and Goran Lelas to create Somewhere City. A place where children can make their own magical creatures.
Inside the gates of Somewhere City you will find an imaginary labyrinth of pure play, where everything is constantly changing. Somewhere City's motion is fueled by the "Secret Thought" of its wonderful, positive inhabitants. Everything floats in this City - houses, street lamps, even faces. So be ready! You might have a new neighbor when you get home from your day exploring...
This "Seeing Outside the Box" card set challenges our visual perception.....in an amazing way. The idea is to look at the cards from each side and describe what you see. Use the cards as a great classroom or therapy clinic tool that really makes kids, and adults, use the creative side of their brain.
Just when you thought a kid's world was powered exclusively by batteries. Crazy Forts uses geometrically precise balls and sticks to create a multitude of play fort possibilities that you simply throw a sheet over. If you go to the site, you can download different "blueprints". They are also coming out with interior lights for the forts. (via notcot)
Go and grab this sweet Game Baby Compartment Tray.
Head on over to Chalkydoodles Etsy site and custom pick your oil cloth fabric for this nice folding table and chair set for kids.
The creative people over at Kidsonroof have done it again. As a great follow up to the Mobile Home, they have come out with the TOTEM line.
TOTEM BOYS : Create your own spaceship, airplane, cathedral, sailing ship or any other construction from your imagination! Over 120 building cards, with secret codes and symbols, with imagery of metal, wood, fire, air, space and more! For kids with imaginative powers, young designers and builders. With manual for 4 models: Katar, Yak, Barca and Buran.
TOTEM GIRLS : Create your own church, witch house, lizard, reindeer or any other construction from your imagination! Over 120 building cards with flowers and butterflies, golden coins, fish and wild animals! For girls with imaginative powers, young designers and builders. Including manual for 4 models: Katar, Yaga, Lisar and Olen.
Ages 7+. Made from recycled laminated micro-wave cardboard. (Thanks Irene!)
Get your lil guy to be like daddy and stay clean at the table with these Dress For Dinner Napkins!
So a client has 8 year old boy twins have an entire floor of a townhouse to themselves. They share a bathroom and a walk-in closet with one bedroom in front and one in the back. The problem? Well, they are eight and they have a lot of energy....and a new little sister. So my client wanted to figure out a way to keep them occupied....especially when it will be too cold to play outside. To that I say.......... a PING PONG TABLE DOOR !
This wooden Rubber Band Racer is sweet.
MIMUMA means "Mini Music Machines." This group of protoype instruments, by PKNTS and Florian Schwab, is geared towards children and making music. With a wireless connection that permits file swaps, kids can create a mini recording studio anywhere. I am looking forward to production.
Mr. Olav Øen is a 78 year old pensioner but works full time with producing wooden toys. His factory is located in the south of Norway and his production dates back to 1928. His designs varies models and many of them date back to the beginning of this amazing Norwegian productionline. Mr. Øen is the last wooden toymaker in Norway.
My Mini Golf is the first crossover "play anywhere" golf game. An easy set up in your backyard, park, living room or anywhere for instant family fun.
In the new Tas-ka collection you will find fabrics, fashion- and living accessories and children products. All the designs are made with their own fabrics. Tas-ka only uses natural materials such as leather, cotton, wool felt and paper. All the products are made in Hollland. One product that really stood out was this great wooden trike. It's built when you order and you can choose from one of their fabrics for the seat. (via storkbitesman)
I really like the simple and clean design of this Gochi Bowling set for kids.
Ahhhhh, summer in the park is now and what better way to spend a lazy afternoon than with flying a vintage Herman Miller Kite like this?
These stuffed toys from Bholu are hand made with wool felt & hand embroidery, stuffed with microfibre wadding and have a very nice design. The children's line, Balahs, is special becuase all the designs come from children's drawings who come from underprivileged slum communities. Bholu takes workshops in the communities to give these kids a chance to be kids.
I'm not saying that little kids should have slingshots. I'm not saying that adults should have slingshots. But on the half change that I should ever see this Ringshot from Shira Nahon in a store...i will buy it. I would then run outside immediately and flick something somewhere with utter precision. (and a HUGE smile on my face)
The fine ladies at Small Magazine have come out with the summer 08 issue (#6). Go on and give it a read.
Being a big fan of Joel Escalona, I'm intrigued by his Looksie Grass. This was an Art Project collaboration project with Artist and Illustrator Stephen Crowhurst resulting in a playground carpet for kids.
Jenny Lacey, mastermind behind the on-line kids magazine LMNOP has come out with issue number three. The drive behind this issue is to celebrate animals. Packed with amazing photography by Ian Macpherson and styling by Lacey, number three does not disappoint. I am very happy to be a part of this (an introduction colulmn on page 12 and in the editor's welcome) and future issues with contributing stories. I am currently working on my story for the next issue and I'm thrilled to be on board! So head over to the site and get the latest issue of LMNOP. You download it here.
Norwegian industrial designer Johan Ørbeck Aase's concept behind Designers go Playground was to create furniture that you could play, create, lay, build, cuddle, dream, store, sit and divide the room. Create your own style by assembling the soft and hard building blocks your own way. This is the second year that they have been at ICFF and I was saddened that the dope dollhouse is still just a prototype but very pleased with the furniture system.
Check out Daddytypes pic of the dollhouse from the show. (with whom I had the lovely opportunity to finally met yesterday!)
I think that Rainer Spehl's Qoffee stool could make for a great toy storage bin as well.
I like the simple and clean idea behind Play Mountain's stackable toy box.
I really enjoyed being out of town for a bit. However, had I been up to my usual internet searching, I would have scooped up this Creative Playthings Magnifier.
Daniel Franzén of Bunker Hill has made a very minimal dollhouse of lacquered steel. These are limited and signed editions with only 100 made. It comes with three magnetic papers with wallpaper patterns and a CD with more patterns included. You can purchase here.
OFFECCT's Flower Mini is made of foam with polyurethane surface. Available in red, orange, white or black. I think that designer Eero Koivisto has made a lovely little seat for your mini - indoors or out.
Two perfect words to describe Teori's Root tray table - simple and clean. This would be perfect for a small space where a chunky big child's table and chair would not work. It could even be a coffee table for a kid's couch. (ok, I secretly want this for myself. How sweet would breakfast in bed be on this for mothers day??)
I really like this vintage tricycle from Bom Designs. (store found via Andy)
While in Austin, Texas this past weekend I learned about something new. Perhaps you have heard of it. It's a ball that once you add rock salt and ice to, you then play with it (shake, roll, toss) and BOOM, you have a pint of ice cream. You can buy the Play and Freeze here.
Arm wrestling + Tetris = TRESLING. Genius! They said it couldn't be done. Mixing Tetris and arm wrestling... not possible. But just like Stallone in "Over the Top," the impossible happened, dreams came true, tears were shed. I give you Tresling: Not just a two-player version of best game on earth, not just a fist-pumping, back ally arm wrestling match to end all matches... but a mash-up so heroic Zeus himself could not imagine it.
(via engadget)
This Chinese Explorer Kit looks pretty sweet.
Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood are classic stories that will always find their way into a child's room. One way to achieve this would be scooping these up from Simple Arts Planet.
Ikea's new JUTANÄS nesting dolls are interesting. (question to IKEA - where is the red head in the hawaiian shirt from?)
I think these little Pop Steel cubes from Kid & Co are nice. They could make for a sweet little modern dollhouse or cubby holes for your little mini's toy or CD collection. They can also be fixed to the wall.
The Curiosity Shoppe has a sweet Ukulele kit. Thats right, make your own Uke and pluck away kids!
My love for the Magic Garden will never die.
Reina Takahashi's Chomp Campaign is a series of items that were produced to encourage young children to make healthier eating choices. One is the video below.
Also making the cut is the Pixel Plate - with the pixel plate, various cards slide under the plate (in this case Mario) and mixed vegetables in the compartment above are put in the appropriately colored "pixel" to create a piece of art with veggies. Created with vacuum formed PETG plastic. Another is the chomp Lunch Tray that is separated into the food groups to remind kids to eat from each one. Illustrations are etched and colored to make the tray fun and kid-friendly.
