Wee See

Here’s a fun (and perhaps educational?) way to spend a thirty minutes with your kids. Save some toilet paper rolls, make yourself some binoculars, download the iPhone app called Chirp! (available from iTunes), and go pretend bird watching! Or, if you can go REAL bird watching maybe you should do that. In a pinch, however, this works.

Here’s something fun (and pretty) to click on with the kids. By Rafaël Rozendaal.

This is by far the best interactive website I’ve come across. Packed full of interesting and playful things to do and hardly any fluff or annoying loading screens. I was really amazed at how many different ideas they managed to squeeze into this. They’re trying to keep it free of advertising, so if you like it, make a donation!

Interested in finding something for under $20 that will entertain your kids for… I don’t know… say… their entire childhood? Of course you are. Get on over to eBay and win yourself an auction on a “lot” of scarves. From peek-a-boo, to dress-up, to fort siding, you will NOT run out of ideas and uses for these things. Search “lot vintage scarves” and you should have yourself some options. Obviously “vintage” is optional, but the patterns from ‘back in the day’ seem far more inspired.

Welcome to our family’s current obsession. Invented way back in 1951 by two art students who were experimenting with flexible vinyls for a friend that manufactured pocketbooks, Harry and Patricia Kislevitz inadvertently created one of the most classic of American toys, Colorforms. They claim that playing with them “promotes creative expression, concentration skills, comprehension of spatial relationships and manual dexterity.” We think that’s only the beginning.

Even before you peel up the very first one, they’re beautiful.

And they can be scary fun to play with on glass.

In digging around we stumbled on this playful stop-motion animation created by Carleton Torpin. We thought it worth sharing as further evidence of the creative possibilities.

But wait, it gets better. Guess what we learned? The Colorforms logo? The work of design über-legend, Paul Rand. Of course!

Get your set! Available from Amazon.

Added 1/13/10:
Just came across another product that feels right at home in this entry. Almost feels like the Colorforms travel companion. A simple box of wooden shapes with magnetized backs. Made by the (great) toy company, Djeco. You can buy it here.

We’ve long been fans of making sun prints. It’s a perfect no-mess outdoor activity that makes everyone feel like a brilliant abstract artist. The only downside is the paper (Super Sunprint Kit, shown above) is a bit on the pricey side.

That’s why we were so excited to see this on More Mom Time. Construction paper! (File this one under D for Duh, why didn’t I think of that?)

If you still prefer the greater contrast achievable by using the Super Sunprint paper, it can be purchased from Kid O.