You’re searching for the perfect bedding to top off a fabulous nursery so here it is folks, in new designs due any moment at The Hip Infant! Ella and Otto (featured here in September 2009) offer fresh, contemporary designs and now here are two more for exclusive online pre-order from tomorrow (27 August).

Beep is a fabulous new design which my nearly three-year-old son would love with its retro-quirky road vehicles. The transport obsession lasts a long time so you’ll get great value out of this bedding – we particularly love the double-decker bus. Tweet is the other new offering from Ella and Otto. Pink and sweet with birdies, flowers and leaves, it will spruce the nursery up in a split second.

Stock is set to arrive 3 September so get in quick with your pre-orders at The Hip Infant before the first shipment sells out. The Bumper and Fitted Sheet set will be $109.95, Padded Quilt/Playmat $84.95, Bib Set $19.95, Comforter Toy $27.95, Hooded Towel $49.95 and the Applique Cushion will be $34.95 (remember to sleep your baby according to the SIDS guidelines).

Also new in soon are four styles of the Dwell Studio puzzles  featured in our recent New York International Gift Fair editorial, plus three gorgeous stamp sets – zoo, farm and city. These amazing stamp sets pack neatly away into their boxes and will provide endless hours of creative fun for the kids. I think they look perfect for decorating home-made cards! Puzzles will be $21 each and stamp sets $35 each when they hit The Hip Infant in early October.

Forget seeing your name up in lights, how about seeing them in wood? Far more sustainable, I’m sure you’ll agree and also that little bit different.

Nuzzles are hand-crafted wooden letters by Chicago-based John Christenson. Crafted from a single block of wood, each letter has its own unique typographic style. Each one neatly connects to the next to create your choice of a name or word up to twelve characters long.

With a choice of natural or stained wood, each letter stands ten to twelve centimetres tall. Such a lovely, personal gift for anyone. Buy them direct from John’s Etsy shop at US$12 per letter (add US$2 if you want colour or stain) plus shipping.

(via Grain Edit)

I know I’m late to the idea but my New Year’s resolution was to not buy any more plastic toys after getting fed up with the playroom being polluted with the stuff! It was a big relief to make that decision but it also means I have to carefully consider any new purchases as non-plastic toys are not only harder to find but tend to cost a tad more.

P’kolino have introduced these great new multi-solution wood puzzles. Choose from the round and curved shapes of the bug or the square and rectangular ones of the robot. Both look great and with a variety of ways of putting them together, will really get your child’s mind working.

We love this American-based company and have featured their wonderful products before. We’re waiting patiently for the day when we can reveal there’s finally an Australian stockist for all that non-plastic loveliness!

Until that day comes, you can order P’Kolino products through 2Modern who ship internationally. The puzzles, expected to be in stock soon, cost US$19.99 and are suitable for children aged two years and older.

My daughter is obsessed with puzzles so this fabulous set really caught my eye.

The Zoomaderita is an amazing array of animal puzzles which can be brought to life with a coat of paint. Crafted from eco-friendly Finnish birchwood, the series of nine puzzles is designed and made in Barcelona and is non-toxic.

Pefect for children aged three to five, these are charming as they are or encourage your little one’s imagination and get them to decorate their puzzle however they wish.

At  €12 each they make a great present as well. Shipping to Australia is available. Happy puzzling!

(via kidsmodern)

Much more fun than a jigsaw puzzle (even a 3D one) and amazingly versatile to boot – welcome to the world of Puzzibits.

Puzzibits describe themselves as “flexible 3D puzzle art” and it’s easy to see how you can get hooked on them. These great little sets of 3D puzzles come in more than ten different kits and each will allow your little puzzler to make three different models following the instructions and an infinite number of their own creations. The themed sets suit boys or girls – there are several animal/monster kits and others especially for girls. Obviously these aren’t for very little fingers because of the small pieces involved so the age recommendation is for kids six and above.

Kits range in price from US$10-US$25 and you can pick them up from Manhattan Toy. If you become a Puzzibits fanatic, you can even indulge your addiction at their website, where you can find special tips and tricks and even share your Puzzibits creations with the world.

(via Kid Crave)

Small kids come with teeny-tiny attention spans. Which makes it incredibly difficult when you want to keep them entertained and out of mischief for longer than, say, 10 minutes. I’ve only found two things that work consistently with my brood – the Xbox for my son and a Hi-5 dvd for his little sister. But for reasons I don’t think I need to spell out, neither of those options are ideal. So I am in all sorts of debt to Walter Wick and his incredible Can You See What I See series of picture books.

We discovered these books shortly before my son’s fourth birthday and they are still a hit more than a year later. He’ll happily sit for ages and ages trying to find the list of items cleverly concealed in the amazing photographs, making these my go-to books when my kids need to wind down or chill out. Or when I need to grab those 10 minutes without feeling guilty.

In the style of Where’s Wally but with loads more panache, the books will even have adults hooked and, dare I say it, occasionally stumped as you sit with your kids to solve the clues. Just as interesting is a visit to Walter Wick’s website for a look behind the scenes at how he crafted the intricate sets photographed for each book.

There are several volumes in the series. The original Can You See What I See tome; On a Scary, Scary Night; Dream Machines (my son’s favourite for the robots and machinery); Cool Collections; and Once Upon a Time already grace our shelves.

We’ve also recently discovered the Can You See What I See board books for babies, with rhyming tales and simpler puzzles to solve. The Trucks and Cars version turned up in our baby boy’s Christmas stocking – I’m sure it will be hit when he grows big enough for his eyes to focus properly – but there’s also animals and dinosaurs.

Can You See What I See books can be found on the shelves of most municipal libraries but are incredibly hard to find in stores. The easiest way to get them for your offspring if you want to buy rather than borrow is to go online and hit the Book Depository, where hardback versions start around $14 and baby board books from $4, with free delivery.

Wooden toys and games have made their mark upon the toy world and the diversity of wooden play items on offer keeps getting better and better. Australian company Merrigold Collections has added immensely to our choices by importing and distributing a massive array of high quality and imaginative wooden toys.

You can purchase any assortment of educational games, puzzles, music toys, building blocks, dollhouses and wooden cars that Merrigold has on their site. I’ve chosen just a tiny few to show you here (including one of my faves pictured below, the Fishing Game) but to see the full product range, head to Merrigold Collections. Register to purchase and gain access to handy resources.

Puzzles are the most popular activity in our house. Last count, my daughter had over ten of them and she enjoys each and every one of them almost everyday.

I absolutely love ‘The Shopping Game’ made by British company Orchard Toys, which has always been a huge hit in our house. They produce games, puzzles and activity toys for kids that encompass so much of what we as parents value in toys: well made, innovative, educational, stimulating and made from recycled materials.

The ‘Nonsenses’ game is our favourite here at Babyology and when you can come up with crazy and fun sentences like “The scarecrow skipped through the forest and spoke to a unicorn” or “The monster flew to the moon and found a treasure chest” why wouldn’t it be? It’s a sublime puzzle game for kiddos aged five and up to develop fine motor skills, concentration and have a good laugh.

Head to the Flying Penguin website to purchase this puzzle and many more made-in-Britian Orchard Toys. Prices range from $27.95 to $57.95 plus postage.

If you’ve whiled away a few hours on Sudoku puzzles, you may want to share the joy with your children. Sudokid is a children’s version of Sudoku. Using shapes instead of numbers, Sudokid is bound to be as thought provoking, challenging and addictive as Sudoko.

Pitched at children aged six and upwards, the game board comes with over seventy-five unique game cards of varying difficulty levels … so there will be hours of puzzle fun.

The Sudokid is another Quirky creation. Quirky is all about regular people sharing their inventions and contributing to each others’ design ideas. The team of contributing designers share in the profits when the item goes into production.

Sudokid is on ‘pre-sale’ for US$14.99. This means that when enough people have committed to buy, the Sudokid will go into production – a neat way of testing market demand! Head to Quirky if you want to get in the Sudokid queue.

With Christmas and birthdays fast approaching, I’m fortunate that Babyology reader Kylie has brought these delectable Mudpuppy puzzles to our attention. We all know how great puzzles are for occupying restless children (and adults) on long wet days or super-hot days when you’re all confined indoors. They certainly make a great gift and I think Mudpuppy knows this, as their packaging is simply beautiful.

Mudpuppy has a huge selection of products to suit different ages. Older children will love puzzles such as the Monsters (pictured above), which is illustrated by Christian Turdera. Slightly younger kids will think the Magnetic Figures sets are a hoot, where they can dress magnetic dolls, create robots and more.

Mudpuppy also produces Ring Flash Cards (pictured below, centre) which are perfect for the preschooler set. Available in many themes, I’ll be getting a set to keep in my handbag to occupy my ‘Mr three’ whilst in waiting rooms!

For your Mudpuppy fix, turn to the fantastic crew at Urban Baby. Puzzle prices start at $19.95 and flash cards are $26.95. Delivery is fast and available Australia-wide.

I’ve always been a big fan of educational toys that stimulate the brain and I’m thinking the 3D Frohling Puzzles, €19.95 each, from German toy company Beleduc, are among some of the best I’ve seen for a while.

The fruit series, featuring an apple, pear or banana puzzle, are carved to improve fine motor skills and lateral thinking and come complete with a black and white picture layout to help little ones.

The puzzles are recommended for children four and up, and are sure to keep them occupied for quite some time. The best part? Unlike some of the cardboard variety, the finished puzzle is something you wouldn’t mind displaying around the house, it’s so simple and elegant.

You’ll be pleased to know Beleduc deliver internationally but ask overseas customers to contact them first on neubert@beleduc.de before purchasing.

My toddler loves scanning the daily newspaper at breakfast to find the inevitable cutesy animal picture that’s wedged somewhere in between the tabloid headlines. So, like thousands of other animal-obsessed toddlers across the country, she’s going to go ape over these.

I’m talking about the latest Creature offerings from celebrated US photographer Andrew Zuckerman. The snapper’s hit 2007 photography book, Creature,  was designed with adults in mind so we’re glad to report his stunning images of wild animals have just been released in two new formats especially for small children to enjoy,

The floor puzzle set featuring a chimp, a lion, an elephant and cuddly tiger cubs will leave your kids gobsmacked. Not because the puzzles are terribly difficult – they’re only 16 pieces, after all – but because of the spectacular detail contained in each incredible image.

Then there’s Creature ABC, a glorious animal alphabet romp that takes little ones on a wild walk from alligator all the way to zebra. Again, Zuckerman’s photographs will amaze, making this our official Babyology alphabet book of choice. Not only will your little ones learn their alphabets and their animals, they’ll also pick up an appreciation for fine photography along the way.

You’ll find the Creature puzzle set online at Sons & Daughters for US$24.95 and Creature ABC for US$19.95 from Chronicle Books.

(via Minor Details)

New York City-based shop and website Kid O looks the sort of place I could spend hours in and emerge with a head full of inspiration – and maybe a few things for my little girl. The design store for children is filled to the brim with all things aesthetically modern but with an educational, stimulating and creative focus as well. This encourages children to have a sense of self and accomplishment when playing.

The website is organised in an imaginative fashion with items listed under age, environment, activity or educational philosophy – a fantastic concept to make shopping easier for friends, extended family and, of course, parents.

Kid O carry everything from arts and crafts to furniture and decor with books and building blocks in between. One of the things that sets Kid O apart from the pack is their toy and book selection dedicated to the Montessori and Reggio Emilia forms of teaching.

I had a great time scouring the site for my favourite items, which include the multicoloured  arcobaleno (Italian for rainbow) puzzle and building blocks pictured above (US$58) and the striking Montessori line exercise cubes (US$298)  below.

To purchase or browse the store for your faves, go to Kid O which will ship to Australia.

Combining inventive and creative elements comes these plywood animal kits made in Melbourne. The kits come flat packed and would be a fantastic activity to do as a family. I could imagine us all sitting down at the dining table, each making our own little wooden creation with the octupus, moose and squirrel. The benefits are quality family time and kids feeling the joy and confidence of making something themselves.

Once made, there are numerous uses: a bookend, a centrepiece on the mantel or a show-and-tell item (look what I made!). They can also be painted to add more fun to the activity – how about a red squirrel and yellow moose? Best of all, the animals are easy to store as they can be simply taken apart and laid flat.

Available to buy from Etsy shop In the Woods for US$36 plus postage.

(Via OhDeeDoh)

There are two animals available – a bear and a gorilla. Made of beech wood, the animals’ elastic band ‘muscles’ and durable wooden limbs make for a hardy toy that the designer promises will withstand generations of play.

Although the animal’s features are simple, they are incredibly expressive – Ursa the Bear’s lumbering bulk and Hanno the Gorilla’s powerful shoulders are enhanced by the silky grain of the wood.

I think these wooden animals are one of those rare toys that appeal to any age and the craftsmanship is exquisite – they would be equally at home on the floor in an imaginary forest or on the coffee table, admired by adults.

The animals range in price from US$55 for Hanno Jr (the small gorilla) to  US$125 for Ursa the Bear and are available from Areaware, who ship to Australia.

Generation Xers whiled away many hours with the Rubik’s Cube and I suspect the Oblo will be the equivalent for Generation Z.

Oblo is a 3D puzzle made up of differently shaped and coloured spherical pieces that require twisting and turning in order to put it together and to take it apart again. The puzzle consists of an outer layer (the container), a lid and ten puzzle pieces. Through the fixed opening in the outer layer, children must work the puzzle pieces to build individual coloured layers within the sphere.

Although aimed at children aged from two to five years, the degree of difficulty can be increased by changing the colours, making the opening in the outer layer of the puzzle smaller or by increasing the number of layers. It looks so simple but I suspect that it is one of those toys that could have parents up until the wee hours until it is solved – much like my parent’s with the Rubik’s Cube.

The team at Yanko Design have tantalized us before with sensational finds. You can’t buy the Oblo yet, but given that it has won a swag of awards for design ingenuity and the fact that it has puzzle enthusiasts buzzing on their blogs, it will surely hit the shelves sometime in the future – we’ll keep you posted.

We first discovered these Dado Cubes Building Blocks in August last year. These building blocks have taken the traditional building block to a new level with interconnecting
3D cubes that stimulate spatial awareness.

The good news is they are now available in Australia through bebe starting at $44.95.

If you’re looking for something a little different from the standard family photo to slip inside the Christmas card this year, why not have a jigsaw puzzle made up of the image instead. A great idea to send to friends and family – especially those with kids of their own.

Jigsaw 2 Order are able to make a jigsaw from your digital images with a choice of 18 different sizes and shapes. The process is all done online and it couldn’t be simpler. Don’t feel you are only limited to photos though, why not give your child’s prized artwork the same treatment — simply take a digital photo or scan it in and let them enjoy it all over again when putting it back together — it would certainly make them feel especially proud of their achievement.

Order online with prices starting at US$15.95 and they will ship internationally.

Known for their captivating wooden toys and puzzles, French company Djeco have come up with a winner again. If you needed just one toy to take with you with travelling with your toddler, then this would have to be it. The Geoform Box Set, available through Bright Bambini will provide unlimited opportunity for creativity while also teaching your child about shapes, colours and co-ordination.

Packed into a cute wooden carrycase are 42 brightly coloured magnetic wooden geometrical shapes which adhere to the metallic inner lid, so it’s all self-contained. Let your little one amuse themselves in free play or challenge them to re-create pictures using the 24 suggestion cards included. Perfect for travel and just as great at home, this is the perfect toy for any toddler.

Available for $55.95 plus $7.90 flat rate postage through Bright Bambini.