Puzzles are not only great for brain development, whether it
be matching colours, sequencing shapes, recognising different sizes or problem
solving. Puzzles also provide a great opportunity for you to sit down and
interact with your child in a way that they will not only find fun, but will
help them to learn.
The Wooden
Rainbow is a great puzzle for children aged 2 and up. Made of solid
wood and made up in a rainbow of colours (pun intended!), it will also give
your child the opportunity to learn about balance, size, colour and sequencing
– all great concepts to further your child’s learning.
Sometimes the best toys are the simplest and when it comes
to puzzles, making sure it is age appropriate is important – there is no
point subjecting your child to the frustration of attempting to do something
that they are not yet ready to handle – feeling like they have
‘failed’ won’t be fun for them or you. Patience and
encouragement are the way to go and puzzles like this will bring about a great
sense of achievement, equally important in their development.
And the pot of gold? In the smile you’ll get from your
child when you tell them how clever they are.
Wooden
Rainbow is available online at Romp
for US$18 for small or US$28 for large excluding shipping costs to Australia.
Turning the everyday utilitarian box of coloured pencils into something more sculptural has been the brainchild of two Argentinean designers, Gonzalo Arbutti and Marcelo Federico.
Keeping pencils tidy and readily at hand is the birch wood tree which holds the 12 coloured pencils out as branches. It makes putting away drawing materials just that little bit more fun. The box itself opens like a screen and its colourful scenery acts like a background for the tree – a great fun touch. Adding delight and playfulness to their products is what Mon Petit Art, a French publisher, is all about as they seek out products from independent designers from around the world.
Available in Australia exclusively through Lola et Moi in Rozelle, Sydney (if you’re in the area, check out this store for other gorgeous unique goodies), the Pencil Tree retails for $60. Products are not yet available on their website, so
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or call the store for your order.
Lola et Moi, 495 Darling Street, Rozelle, NSW 2041
Leading by example as parents is one of the best ways to teach your child. Now that Kevin is putting us on the road to a cleaner and greener country, why not take the lead at home. A great way to start your child on a road to environmental awareness is by purchasing toys that are made of renewable or recycled/recyclable materials.
Carton Chic Cardboard House, designed by Armelle Vetillard is a non-traditional miniature house (ok, dolls house if you will) made of 100% pulp cardboard. Made up of 8 sections that fit together in a multitude of imaginative ways, it is pre-printed with graphics such as swimming pool and helicopter landing pad on one side, but the other left blank for your child to decorate as they desire – so it could be a stylish modern mansion one one side, then reconfigure, flip over the pieces and there stands your own creation, a firestation maybe?
Made in France it comes from certified PEFC and FSC forests. Great too that it can be assembled and reassembled as often as you like and flat packs for storage and shipping.
Available through Little Fashion Gallery, it sells for £32.20 with shipping approx. £26 depending on location in Australia.
Ikea are great for that quick fix homewares purchase - stocking everything you could need, including the kitchen sink without having to break into your child’s piggy bank. Coming soon to Australian shores is their modern and minimalist take on the traditional see-saw, the very stylish Vippig.
We love Scandinavian design for its paring back to the essentials and this design is certainly on the mark with its clean molded birchwood lines, especially designed for indoor use. Great year-round entertainment for siblings but not quite as much fun for the only child – after all, there is no ‘see’ without a ‘saw’, so you will have to ensure a playmate is around to really get the benefit out of this one. You see, there is a payoff for all this gorgeous design, in that it does not have a fixed based, so solo play is not an option.
Keep an eye on the Ikea Australia site for availability of the Vippig in the new year.
When you can take no more of the colourful plastic battery operated toys littering your floorspace, you can revisit with your child the simple pleasure of building blocks.
Kapla Blocks are made of pine from renewable French forests, that allow you to let your imagination and skills run wild in creating the simplest of constructions to the very complex. Each piece measures 1” x 4.5” and is ¼ inch wide and is available in natural pine and 7 different non-toxic colours and comes in lots of 40 up to 1000 pieces, all with construction suggestions. Part of the fun of course, is coming up with your own ideas and problem-solving all the engineering issues along the way. For simple fun, you can build towers and dismantle one block at time and see how long you can still have it standing for!
Winner of Dr Toy, 10 Best Toys of 2006, it proves that sometimes the simplest ideas are sometimes the best and will withstand the test of time, impervious to trends. It will offer great fun for all family and engage kids for hours – just what you need with school holidays around the corner!
Available in Australia through Haines, a 200 block set sells for $108.90 and is suitable for children age 3 and over.
