Wee See

Yes these two dvd’s don’t bring you a story, nor is there any color but it DOES attracts my 4 year’s old attention and makes him curious what happens next… normally he prefers Peter Pan, Robin Hood and Tarzan but somehow Wee See inspires him and more important it calms him down. I expected the dvd to be for my 1 year old son (and yes he likes it too) but it happens to be a lot of fun for [our eldest].

“When someone gets it right - or in the case of the creators of Wee See - they excel at it at every point, it is a darn pleasure to share the wealth! The packaging design for both Wee See’s collection one and two is alone worth a nod for it’s simple yet beautiful design sense. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.


“These DVDs, whether they intended it that way or not, are not just for the youngest in your family - they are soothing and enjoyable for everyone.”


“I tell you - they are BEAUTIFUL. I’ve seen some very creative things, even charming things, to do with teaching kids at an early level - but this one takes the cake also in re-teaching me, as an adult, how to slow down also and enjoy the world around me. I mean that!”


“The creators bill it as a part installation and part pacifier…. but it’s more than that - it’s ART.”

“Wee See Collections 1 & 2: Intriguingly different visual stimulation for infants, set to an appealing soundtrack by Tim DeLaughter of the Polyphonic Spree.”

“Well it’s about time someone reinvented the proverbial wheel of sensory stimulation baby videos, and in this case that someone is award-winning graphic designer and dad Rolyn Barthelman, creator of the ingenious Wee See collection of DVDs. Let’s just say I popped it in — by myself — and immediately started smiling.”


“It’s all very MOMA store, if you know what I mean. Or as they call it, “part art installation, part pacifier.” But in fact it makes perfect sense from a developmental standpoint; in other words, if you’re going to plop your baby in front of the tube for a few minutes while you get your first shower in days, this series is a good bet.”

“Life gets complicated. Today it’s burpies and bottles, but tomorrow you’ll be navigating the gray areas of white lies and the birds and the bees.


Savor the innocence of infancy, where everything’s black and white, with Wee See videos.”

“The feeling of watching Wee See––if we can compare it to anything––is akin to that of being inside a planetarium. The DVDs invoke the same sense of wonder and visual splendor, and also induce the sort of hypnotized tranquility that an hour looking at faux stars produces. It’s not a bad feeling for babies to experience, nor, for that matter, adults.”

“The Wee See videos are a truly artful and minimalist experience. Rolyn Barthelman and his team did an amazing job. The site, the packaging and the two videos are designed with *such* attention to detail. Hat tip!”

Which Web sites are safe, educational—and fun—for preteens? BusinessWeek and Cookie magazine paired up to find which products make the list of 50 best tech products for children.


“Why we like it: DVDs that visually stimulate your newborn with stark black-and-white kinetic art and a soothing soundtrack.”

A big thank you to Parents magazine for featuring us in their four weekend family concert events called House of Kids. It’s been amazing to see all the delighted faces in the (packed!) crowd. The last of the four is on January 9th. If you’re in New York to start the new year be sure to come to the next one. Get tix here.

“In honor of Father’s Day we’re giving props to the dads who have discovered ways to make our lives easier. Here are five of our favorite products created for kids by their entrepreneuring dads.


Wee See DVDs. Black-and-white graphic animations set to music. These insanely cool DVDs will loll even the wildest baby into a near-coma. Frankly, we can’t stop playing on the website. It’s just so damn cool.”

“Wee See is launching their new website today and although we had intended to hop over to check things out, we hadn’t planned on spending 20+ minutes watching their ridiculously soothing and playful videos.”


“They are a collection of black-and-white animations built from basic shapes to which captivated us and are sure to do the same for your children.”

“Your children get to watch TV, but they are doing so with the parental knowledge that what they are watching is quite good for their mind and pretty unique in terms of children’s entertainment …. these DVD’s are third-eye kind of energy, if you know what I mean!”


“I tried the harmless experiment a few times since school began and it’s worked like a charm. The kids weren’t so edgy or grumpy and were actually entranced by their own imaginations, rather than someone else - and it’s just plain nice to see them watch something that hasn’t got a lot of crashing sounds and quick edits. And, the soundtrack is perfect for a calming effect throughout the house. FANTASTIC!!”

“Ladies. I think we’ve found the next Baby Einstein. But it’s way cooler. Well designed. And completely fascinating to watch. It’s called Wee See.”

“As a newly expectant mother, I’m already thinking of the kind of kid my child will be. Is it too much to ask for ’smart’ and ‘hip’? Will he or she be a music fan like their parents? Will our child be artistic? Who knows!? I’ll try not to control the fate of my child’s personality too much… but I can’t help but give him or her a little nudge. And, of course, I’m going to start right at infancy!


A great new collection of DVD’s out for babies by Wee See, introduces your child to the visual world with amazing a modern animations.”…“Oh, and did I mention, both DVDs are scored by Tim DeLaughter of the Polyphonic Spree. What more could baby and mom ask for?”

“Wee See is a new collection of black and white kaleidoscopic animations designed to stimulate and engage a child’s curiosity. Artist Rolyn Barthelman’s end result is nothing short of a genius sensory experience for babies—and surprisingly parents too!”


“Not only is this just the sort of child’s play any hip parent will want in on, but I plan on ordering a set for my next party’s background TV action.”

“Wee See – a funkier and altogether groovier dvd for babies than the Baby Einstein series - is the brainchild of designer-turned-dad Rolyn Barthelman. He’s used stunningly simple graphic animations in bold black and white that will mesmerise, engage and engross babies as well as children. The shapes and patterns shift, change and transform in a way that will entrance infants without overloading their delicate little brains. So important. And it’s all set to the most perfect original scores by musician extraordinaire (and dad) Tim DeLaughter.”

I was kindly given the opportunity to review the first two DVDs from the Wee See series with my children, and I must say it was an absolute hit. Not only did my youngest, who is now 13 months, find himself completely mesmerized by the films, but so did I, and my two toddlers as well! The music and the graphics combine together to create a very enjoyable, relaxing experience.


For my older children, they quickly started pointing out the shapes they recognized. “Look, there’s a circle! And a rectangle! And…” They loved watching as the shapes transformed into new patterns and new shapes, and I loved how these DVDs offered a calming appeal, unlike any other children’s DVD series I’ve ever seen.


I highly recommend these movies for babies, as well as preschoolers who are learning about shapes and patterns.

The jubilant world of Wee See is “part installation, part pacifier” for your child, initiating them to the realm of motion graphics with DVDs portraying contrasting black and white visuals set to a calming original tune. Engaging a baby’s naturally curious mind, the DVDs entertain while enlightening.

“Paralyzing overstimulus programming is what gets most of the attention and deserves most of the grief from the folks who argue that kids under 2 years old should not watch any screen media at all. On the other end of the spectrum, is the blissed out, deliberately understimulating video programming for kids as exemplified by a small handful of carefully thought-through titles. The latest entrant to this category, which I just dubbed “video tai-chi for babies,” is wee see, a DVD series created by two dads.”


“I watched the entire 10-min. segment earlier, and yes, it’s quite soothing, calm, and beautifully done.”

“Wee See features playful abstract black & white animations from Rolyn Barthelman, and a beautifully understated, mostly ambient score from the Polyphonic Spree’s Tim DeLaughter. Inspired in part by their own children, the project was originally conceived as “sensory stimulation for young babies, with its basic shapes and patterns tailored to the developing senses of newborns,” although, if you find yourself zoning out to these undeniably hypnotic dreamlike images/sounds at your full-grown adult job, it’s totally understandable.”

“This is definitely one of my favourite finds.”


“I am a sucker for all things arty and Wee See’s DVDs are certainly that – put one on for an instant art installation in your lounge.”


“My little one seemed hypnotised by Wee See and it was pleasant to have on in the background while you get on with stuff, although I imagine it could have a soporific effect if you were chilling out on the sofa. All in all, a beautiful and practical baby product well worth the price.”

“Says DeLaughter of the project: “It’s been amazing to see people’s reactions to it. Adults are as engaged as any baby we’ve shown it to. It’s clearly something that will appeal to a much broader audience than we originally anticipated. It’s an incredibly inviting experience that will play as well in a museum or a party as it will in a living room.”


Can’t argue there–it’s definitely an eye-catching visual (nice work, visual artist and co-creator Rolyn Barthelman) to go with DeLaughter’s soothing blips and bleeps. I could watch this stuff forever, I think.”

Here’s some baby TV I can feel good about: Wee See. Just try it. You’ll see. The delicate sounds and gentle movements are just the thing maintaining a calming feeling throughout the house, even with the TV on. The black and white designs are right up Lily’s alley, and the slow movements and basic shapes are great for encouraging her to carefully examine and study what she’s seeing, rather than typical TV, which is basically designed to shorten your kid’s attention span.


The DVDs even have a still life option, so that you can decide when you want introduce movement.

“When I discovered WeeSee it became a must-see for my son. It is one of the best DVDs I’ve seen on the market for babies. It’s artistically designed and keeps my child and I wanting more.”


“I most appreciate how slow each of the geometric shapes move across the television, giving your child a chance to follow the shapes as they move and change.”


“This is a fantastic DVD for parents who are wary of much of the over-stimulating television shows aimed at babies and toddlers.”

We were honored to be given the opportunity to screen Wee See during The Polyphonic Spree’s performance at TED.


If you’re not familiar with TED, you might want to spend a few hours getting acquainted. While their gatherings are exclusive, invite-only affairs, the endlessly fascinating talks are made enthusiastically available on their website (and handy iPhone app). Here’s a taste of just how good they get.

A wee see sticker mysteriously appeared on a NYC subway car suggesting we alter the rules a bit.

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Speaking of simple [like black and white mobiles for the crib], wee see is a dvd collection based on just that idea. Simple graphics and sounds to engage with baby. I would love to see an infants reaction to these, I know I enjoy them myself!

For visual parents and their visual-to-be babies, Wee See is a collection of black-and-white animations created from basic shapes to delight a baby’s visual senses and curiosity. The simple and graphic films are just lovely and totally something I’d try out when I have a little one of my own someday.

“It should come as little surprise [that] Tim DeLaughter involved himself in the creation of a pair of early childhood development DVDs titled Wee See, the results [are] be nothing short of stunning.”


“Precisely timed, the spare instrumentation (synthesizers, sampled and ‘found’ sounds, the occasional strum of an acoustic guitar or banjo) is beguiling. These aren’t melodies per se; the presentation is far too placid for that. These are simple musical/sound effect accompaniments that serve perfectly as an aural counterpart to the visual shapes.”


“A black square appears, slowly rotates, and is then overtaken by a white circle. Tiny black squares appear, then elongate into stripes, then morph into something else. Infinite variations on this fill the DVD, and it’s never once repetitive. It’s all glacially paced, yet endlessly fascinating.”

I am not a parent, but I hope to be some day. And when that happens, I’d imagine Wee See is exactly the type of thoughtful, well-designed product I’d want to have.

“This is a little off topic for me, but it’s really cool.”


“The target audience is infants, but I could imagine having a projector and one of these videos on the wall of my sensory room at work–how soothing! I’ve been sitting here watching the sample videos, utterly enchanted. I love the high contrast work.”