KARTELL KIDS

April 6, 2016

We are loving Italian brand Kartell's first kid's collection, launching next week in Milan at the Salone di Mobile. Kartell uses vibrant and pastel hues, combined with simple silhouettes and classic materiality, in this collection designed by international stars. Japanese firm Nendo delights with a minimalist rocking horse and "smile" bench; Italian architect Piero Lissoni's toy car and tractor are nostalgic, yet fresh; and French designer Philippe Starck's "Airway" swing is both playful and chic. See all the new pieces on Kartell's website and be sure to check it out in Milan - we know we will!

LE BESTIAIRE

January 22, 2016

The kinder MODERN team (including the smallest member) had a blast last weekend at the opening of Le Bestiaire at the FIAF Gallery. Conceived and curated by artist Ionna Vautrin, Le Bestiaire features a dreamy and whimsical collection of paper costumes, each depicting an imaginary animal by a different artist. Le Bestiaire is on display through April 2, 2016 and also boasts innovative family programming, including two artistworkshops (Saturday, March 12 and April 2, 2016 at 3:30pm). At each workshop, children are invited to create their own costumes and use their imaginations to explore natural forms in their wildest and most fanciful incarnations. Le bestiaire is part of Oui Design, a program initiated by Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the Tilt Kids Festival.

The FIAF gallery is located at 22 E. 60th St. in New York City. It is open Monday–Thursday: 8:30am–8pm; Friday: 8:30am–6pm; and Saturday: 9am–5pm. It is free and open to the public. All workshops are $15.

BLEEPBLEEPS

October 27, 2015

We may be all about the vintage here at kinder MODERN, but we love a well-designed piece of tech! The bleepbleeps collection ("cute, connected devices that make parenting easier") measures and tracks everything from your child's location to your partner's fertility and alerts you via a very cool smartphone app. Visit the sleek website to order your very own "Sammy Screamer" motion alarm, and sign up to be the first in line for the rest of the devices, dropping soon. We also love their cool Instagram, full of fun production shots and good times in the company's London office.

#100DAYSOFRAINBOWS

June 25, 2015

We’re delighted by artist Julie Seabrook Ream’s fun Instagram project, #100daysofrainbows, in which she attempts (with the help of her little ones) to create a rainbow out of objects found around the house every day for 100 days. Check out her colorful feed to see her carefully curated collections of a wide range of objects, including feathers, melted popsicles, vintage seed packets, veggies, toys, Pez dispensers, flowers, and even cheese! Follow her @hey_jules_studio and don’t forget to check out @kinderMODERN while you’re there!

JEFF KOONS: A RETROSPECTIVE

September 5, 2014

We're loving the seemingly city-wide celebration of Jeff Koons, and wrote earlier this summer about the large-scale organic installation of Split-Rocker at Rockefeller Center. The Whitney Museum of American Art, home to Jeff Koons: A Retrospective through October 19, 2014, will host a variety of events and activities this September to engage and educate children and families about the iconic artist.

"Gallery Experiments" on September 13 and 20, 2014 from 11:30-2:30pm includes pop-up activity stations throughout the exhibit for discussion and exploration.

Jeff Koons Family Day is September 27, 2014 from 9am-1pm with art-making activities and hands-on gallery stations. What little ones don't want to get up close and personal to a museum exhibit?

Can't make it to one of the events? Visit the museum on your own time and download the Jeff Koons: Kids Activity Guide, full of thought-provoking questions geared towards kids with space for sketching and reflecting.

The Whitney Museum of American Art is located at 945 Madison Avenue in New York City. Hours: 11am-6pm Wednesday-Monday; closed Tuesday. General admission: $20, children under 18 are always free!

Visiting the Koons exhibit at the Whitney? Tell us about it! Tweet or Instagram @kinderMODERN

TANGRAMS

August 27, 2014

Tangrams, the ancient Chinese puzzles that challenge players to create an infinite series of pictures from seven simple geometric shapes, have been repurposed as design objects, both functional and chic. Check out some of our favorites below!

Tangram Shelves by Italian furniture company Lago

Tangram Tables designed by Massimo Morozzi for Cassina; 1993, Italy

Daylight Lamps by Philippe Malouin

Dis(order) modular furniture system designed by Sanjin Halilovic

Solid oak Tangram Table by Dan Yeffet

And finally - just for kids (ok, and kids at heart!) the Tangram Furniture Puzzle by Archmage

OUR FAVORITE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS FOR KIDS

December 13, 2013

1.) Vegetabibbles written and illustrated by Kathryn Warren

2.) I ggy Peck, Architect written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts

3.) Gobble You Up! written by Gita Wolf and illustrated by Sunita Sunita

4.) Pomelo Begins to Grow written by Ramona Badescu and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud

5.) You Are Stardust written by Elin Kelsey and illustrated by Soyeon Kim

Looking for an amazing picture book for grown-ups? Check out A Swarm, A Flock, A Host: A Compendium of Creatures, a collaboration by award-winning poet Mark Doty and painter Darren Waterston.

Tell us about some of your favorite illustrated books! Tweet us @kindermodern

CENTURY OF THE CHILD TOYS

November 21, 2013

Anyone who knows Kinder knows we were enthralled by last year's Century of the Child exhibit at MoMA, and that fascination extends to the gorgeous toys created to complement the exhibit.

Some of our favorites making it onto our holiday shopping list include this Playplax building set, inspired by Patrick Ryland’s 1966 piece. Art you can play with? Yes, please.

This funky wolf pull toy (Keith Haring, 1988) would make a fun addition to a child’s imaginative play and is cool enough to earn the right to display space on a shelf for years after the child outgrows it.

I know a couple little guys who would adore the bright Streamliner Rally Car (Ulf Hanses, 1985) with its two removable passengers.

This wooden monkey (Kay Bojesen, 1951) may not be cuddly, but is still a sweet friend for any child.

Have you visited the MoMA shop recently? What did you pick up? Tweet us @kindermodern