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!
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.
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...
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)
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!)
This wooden Rubber Band Racer is sweet.
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.
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.
The fine ladies at Small Magazine have come out with the summer 08 issue (#6). Go on and give it a read.
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.
I like the simple and clean idea behind Play Mountain's stackable toy box.
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.
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?)
The Sound Box helps develop children's ability to perceive sounds, build concentration, matching and focusing skills. Children shake wooden cubes to hear each unique rattling sound and find its match. Compare color-coded dots on the bottom for self-correction.
This wooden toy tool box and tool set is handmade from sustainable forests. Complete with an oak carrying box that contains all the tools the young carpenter needs to help with the building jobs around the house. There is a toy hammer, a screwdriver, a saw, a square, an old fashion hand drill, and 6 inch ruler.
These Alphabet Blocks from Post Typography are quite stellar.
I just stumbled upon this sweet little Wooden Rotary Telephone.
Different Drummer Workshop is located in the small town of Solon, Maine. Here is where they produce some of the sweetest wooden toys I've seen in a long while. I really like the soft and pureness of their offerings. I was introduced to them by a friend over the weekend (who happens to have the cutest little boy on the planet) and I instantly feel in love. You can purchase here.
Sculptures Jeux has come out with the Clic & Roll toy. With many versions to choose from, each kit comes with 2 wooden wheels w/ joining magnets, 1 ready to roll color shape , 1 shape with outlines of drawing for coloring, 1 blank shape to create your own look, and 6 colored pencils. You can buy them here.
I really like these vintage blocks and pins from Arthurs Circus.
Some toys are funny, some are serious. Take OPPS for instance. They are Global Warning Toys and there are four characters in the group. First is "Bhzt" - which wants to come in at night an unplug all your electronics cause he has a serious electricity addiction. Second is "Spsh" - he is here to add a little green to your home. He is a planter in waiting. Third is "Blug" - he makes you think about your water consumption. Lastly is " Hunh" - he is the strongest of the group. They claim he can actually stop a car. Just place this under your wheels and bike to work.
I can't really say that my daughter would be into these toys. They perhaps would take on a magical existence as her new bath toys. I get the message but I'm not sure if these toys will actually be heard.
Photojojo has designed a DIY Photo Block Kit for you to take any photo and make it your own. I think this would be a great idea for a baby or child to play with blocks that have familiar faces or places on them!
Dirty Wow Wow and other love stories is a tribute to threadbare companions of childhood written by Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz. With striking photography and personal stories of each companion, this book is a sweet nod to timeless childhood memories. Buy it here.
Here is a piece on "Blankie" : Blankie lives in the liquor cabinet. When Maggie would fall asleep feeling Blankie’s lovely silky edge—a fine thing to do when you’re trying to get some shut eye—she would also suck her two middle fingers. This made Maggie an orthodontist’s dream. One day Blankie disappeared. When, weeks later, Blankie was discovered behind the curtains, Maggie was already weaned from him. Maggie’s mom saw this as an opportunity to let Blankie stay lost and shoved it in the back of the liquor cabinet above the refrigerator. Now, whenever a recipe calls for brandy, Maggie's mother reaches into the cabinet, catches a glimpse of Blankie and feels a pang of guilt, but not $5,000 worth, which was the cost of Maggie’s braces.
Nothing cracks me up more than a great snowball fight, a well crafted practical joke, and a good spit ball! (I know, I'm not saying that I would introduce this art form to my child but there is something very nostalgic about it that makes me mischievously giggle)
Mini Spielzeug is open for business in Zurich. They have a pretty eclectic selection of vintage goodies as well as publishing and printing their own books for children.
(via stork bites man. Andy, you have such a great blog!)
Why a Duck has two really cute push/pull toys. It's refreshing to see these type color palettes replace the classic yellow duck.
Louise Loder's idea behind her work is to create functional, tactile, and evocative objects. One such piece is below. "'Tools For Building Sandcastles' are playful evocative objects made from silver, driftwood and beach-find. The beauty of imperfection, impermanence and fragility are some of the notions I am dealing with - like sandcastles - evolving and devolving. " Though it's not for everyday beach use, I see this actually making more sense as a beautiful prop in an editoral piece for MILK magazine.
Yoko Jarvis is the maker behind Japanimals. These soft toys are made from 100% pure cashmere and vintage Japanese textiles. So sweet.
I really like this sorter truck by the Little Little Little Toy Company. (yes, little is in there 3 times)
Kapla planks are made from 100% renewable forests, natural and non-toxic. The flat shape and lightweight wood enhances confidence, curiosity, and determination.
It was a pleasure to have been introduced to Places and Spaces design shop on Sunday. The have a very nice selection of modern goods for the mini. I managed to snap a few pics of the Kant child's desk, the Orca stool that turns into 2 chairs, the Alex Macdonald child's chair in blue and birch and table, a collection of Kay Bojesen toys and cutlery, Loop the Loop shelving, and Terry Elephants in mutiple colors.
NIC has a nice selection of ride-on toys.
Looking for an inflatable trampoline? Well...look no further
One of my favorite shops in Brooklyn is Romp. As i was walking to a "girls night dinner" last night, I purposely wanted to walk by and look in the window. To my surprise, they have closed up shop and are moving to the country. But never fear, the web-store will be continuing on. Apparently, they are making big changes and perhaps offering grown-up stuff as well. As a thank you to all the Brooklyn customers, Romp is offering free shipping and 15% off everything until Sept 30, 2008. All you need is a Brooklyn ship-to address and this code at checkout : BKLYN.
The four new items from Plan Toys that caught my eye at the Toy Fair were the Woodpecker walker, a real sized kids table and chair set, washing machine, and tree house.
