A CHILD'S DREAM

September 4, 2015

In partnership with Vitra, designjunction2015 is supporting an amazing cause with some very sweet elephants. Over 20 artists, designers, and architects, including Aukett Swanke, Industrial Facility, Gensler, Eley Kishimoto, Max Lamb, Philippe Malouin, and Patternity, have personalized the iconic Eames elephant for a September 23, 2015 auction benefitting Teddy's Wish, a non-profit dedicated to finding a cure for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and supporting grieving families. All the elephants will be on display at Victoria House, part of the London Design Festival, through September 27, 2015. Check out designjunction's website to see more photos of these gorgeous little guys and learn about the great organization they support.

WONDERWOUD

August 27, 2015

How clever is this primary school? De Windroos, a special school in the Netherlands for children with concentration problems, utilizes a "limited stimulation" policy inside the classroom. To follow their unique pedagogy, but still ensure children are challenged creatively, the hallways between the simple classrooms are filled with over-sized plywood sculptures by artist Ineke Hans. Each fantastical piece, from giant witch to dinosaur, stands over a mini-library, cozy reading nook, or display case for child-created art or curiosity provoking artifacts. We love the way this project explores the intersection of pedagogy, art, and design to create a one-of-a-kind learning environment that helps children be their best. Check out Hans' website to learn more about this fascinating project.

HAMMER MUSEUM: FAMILY DAY

August 24, 2015

We wish we could be in LA for this year's Family Day at the Hammer Museum, taking place on Saturday, September 12, 2015 from 11am-3pm. The 2015 theme,Community Studio, celebrates all the exciting discoveries happening in artists' studios. To encourage experimentation and creative problem-solving, the museum invites the local community to come and play with a ton of cool art materials and try new processes with contemporary artists leading the way. Activities include performance-based workshops, interactive performances by story tellers and improv groups, and the opportunity to create everything from tableware to costumes. Admission to the museum is always free and snacks will be provided.

The Hammer Museum is located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA. Visit their website to learn more and plan your visit.

IKO

August 21, 2015

Iko, a prosthetic limb designed by Carlos Arturo Torres at the Lego Future Lab, can be infinitely customized with Lego pieces. The design allows for children to swap out a 4-fingered claw-like "hand" for various Lego structures, such as a very cool digital spaceship. After meeting with an 8 year old rehab patient with a passion for drawing robots, Torres was inspired, "[The patient] was talking about the robot’s different features and pointed to a bionic eye. He said the robot built it himself because he was the only one who knew what he needed. And that was like, boom.” Adding the Lego feature to the prosthetic limb not only inspires creativity, but also confidence, as children navigate the sometimes cruel world of the schoolyard. Torres is currently donating small numbers of the prosthetic to children in Columbia, but hopes to have Iko in full-scale production by 2017, making it the first mass-produced prosthetic with a Lego element. Design to the rescue!

WOO TOYS

August 20, 2015

We don't care if you're big or small, WOO toys are for all! These gorgeously crafted toys/objects are made from solid lacquered beech wood and bent oak veneer by award-winning Czech designers Roman Vrtiška and Vladimír Žák. We can't choose a favorite between the sleek sailboat, compact airplane, and simplified bulldozer (each symbolizing a natural element: water, air, or earth). Inspiring for a chic playroom or bold deskscape, each piece can be made in a variety of colors. Visit the WOO Toys or Vrtiška Žák website to purchase or learn more.

INFLATABLE HISTORY

August 17, 2015

Oyodon by Jean Aubert, Jean-Paul Jungmann, and Antoine Stinco — Oyodon by Jean Aubert, Jean-Paul Jungmann, and Antoine Stinco

Light Cave by FriendsWithYou. Image via friendswithyou.com

We're fascinated by the history of the inflatable structure in design. With the discovery and development of thermo-bonding in the 1960s, architects and furniture designers alike experimented with a number of pneumatic applications. As part of the Paris-based UTOPIE group, formed in 1967, architects Jean Aubert, Jean Paul Jungmann, and Antoine Stinco designed entire inflatable cities. Playful and imaginative, we love this vintage project for both its youthful exuberance and super intelligent design. Interested in learning more? Read this article from the Domus archive or get your hands on a copy of The Inflatable Moment: Pneumatics and Protest in '68 by Marc Dessauce. And who's doing awesome work in this medium today? We love FriendsWithYou - check out their awesome Light Cave and other inflatable sculptures.

FLIP

August 12, 2015

We're digging the award-winning FLIP for kids by German architect and designer Marco Hemmerling. This lightweight, yet sturdy, chair inspires imagination and play, while also encouraging children to engage in healthy movement. Available in six colors, FLIP is made of durable foam and can safely be used indoors or out. Visit Hemmerling's website to learn more about Flip, as well at the project that inspired it - the sleek, multi-functional, and thoughtfully ergonomic TriWing Chair.

KIDS MUSEUM OF GLASS

August 7, 2015

August 7, 2105

The KIDS Museum of Glass in Shanghai, China is a dream! Designed by Coordination Asia, this award-winning addition to the Museum of Glass is a colorful kaleidoscope of natural materials and sleek glass surfaces. Children enter the museum independently and are encouraged to self-guide through a "glass city," with themed areas like "The Beach," "The Circus," and "The Factory." Each zone disseminates information about glass and glass-making in engaging, interactive, and easy-to-digest mini-lessons. Check out Coordination Asia's website for more images and information about this fun and inspiring project.

Happen to be in Shanghai? The KIDS Museum of Glass is open year round (closed Mondays) from 9:30am-5pm and is located at 685 West Changjiang Road, Baoshan District.

DAY NURSERY OF THE GIRAFFE

August 3, 2015

We're crazy for this French preschool! Located in Boulogne, this modern school boasts a menagerie of oversized, imagination-inspiring animals that also serve as functional structural elements in the building's design. A giant giraffe oversees the main entrance and a friendly bear peaks from the schoolyard into a second floor classroom. Designed by Paris-based firm Hondelatte Laporte Architects, the school stands between the historic and modern parts of the city. We love the way the architects incorporated incredible whimsy, while still remaining sophisticated and cosmopolitan. Check out the firm's website to learn more about this fantastic school.

CHILD CHILD CHAIR

July 31, 2015

We recently came across this double desk/chair combo from Studio Maartje Steenkamp in the Netherlands and we're in love. Architectural in design and super practical in function, this piece combines two chairs of different heights and a small table, allowing children of different ages and sizes to sit, play, eat, or chat in perfect comfort. Made of birch multiplex, the Child Child Chair is available in five colors. Visit the studio's website for more photos and information - but don't delay! This piece is currently out of production and there are only a few left for sale!

URBAN CAMPSITE AMSTERDAM

July 30, 2015

The Urban Campsite in Amsterdam is part art exhibition and part very cool campground. Set on an unusual stretch of sandy parkland, this open air exhibition transforms a desolate space into a vibrant community. Artists and designers are invited to create small dwellings, many from found or up-cycled objects, which visitors can rent for the night through Air BnB. Each structure has a distinct look and feel, inviting viewers to play and interact with both the exterior and the interior, and contemplating the ways in which we experience art and design. We really like the giant, fanciful Bedbug, the super sleek Upside Down You Turn Me, and the geometric Solid Family. On display and available for overnights through the end of August 2015, check out Urban Campsite's website to make reservations and choose your favorite.

PLACES AND SPACES

July 28, 2015

Thinking about hitting up a museum to beat the heat with your little ones this week? Head over to the MoMA Art Lab for Places and Spaces. This interactive exhibition, on display through August 31, 2015, explores both cityscapes and landscapes, real places and those that exist only in our imaginations. After learning about different types of environments, visitors are invited to create their own. Whether drawn on paper or built with blocks, kids of all ages have the freedom to explore the infinite possibilities in our world and beyond.

The MoMA Art Lab is open Saturday–Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and Thursday–Friday, 10:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and free for children under 16. The museum is located at 11 West 53rd St. in New York City.

FAMILY DAY: PLEASE TOUCH THE ART

July 24, 2015

We've blogged before about the awesome exhibition Please Touch the Art by Jeppe Hein currently on display in the Brooklyn Bridge Park. If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet with your little ones, make plans to head over there this Sunday, July 26, 2015 for Family Day! Sponsored by the Public Art Fund in partnership with the Children's Museum of the Arts, this event, beginning at 12 noon, will explore the ways in which manmade artwork blends and interacts with the natural world, drawing inspiration from Hein's Mirror Labyrinth NY. Children will create their own wings and "fly" around the sculpture, observing the ways in which their own reflection is both distorted by the mirrors and also assimilated into the natural landscape. Visit the Public Art Fund website to learn more about the day's events.

TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE US

July 23, 2015

We’re super inspired by Technology Will Save Us, a UK-based, design-forward start-up that gives families and kids opportunities to learn about technology and design through creativity. Their awesome DIY kits let kids create all kinds of fun and unexpected projects, like a handheld electronic game or a solar-powered watering system for their garden, (safely) using very grown-up tools. (Yes, your 10 year old can solder!) Even more exciting? TWSU will distribute the BBC micro:bit to over a million kids in the UK this fall. This cool tool has everything a budding techie needs, including a mini processor and an LED screen for basic programming and design. What a way to foster the “maker” generation! Visit the Tech Will Save Us website to learn more about this amazing company founded by artist, mom, and businesswoman Bethany Coby and designer, maker, and educator Daniel Hirschman.

MASAYOSHI MATSUMOTO

July 20, 2015

We're fascinated by the work of Japanese artist Masatoshi Matsumoto and his incredible balloon animals and plants. Going above and beyond anything we've seen at the average birthday party, these intricate creatures are both mesmerizing and innovative. Check out Matsumoto's tumblr page to see all his work, from glow-in-the-dark jellyfish and life-sized flamingos to delicate lilies and ferocious venus fly traps.