Dec 17
Yeah, it’s easy to romanticize the past, but there’s something almost sweet about Confiscation Cabinets, an exhibition at the V&A’s Museum of Childhood showing 30 years’ worth of contraband swiped from kids at over 150 schools in London.
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Dec 13
There’s a long running joke that kids would rather play with the cardboard box than the toy inside. And that’s especially true if that cardboard can then be transformed into an articulated 20-inch tall robot like our friend here.
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Dec 12
Done any swashbuckling lately? Want to try it in the sky? Look no further than this handmade sailing ship kite, which takes flight on sails made of nylon on a ship made of bamboo.
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Dec 11
Kids today demand more from their toys, since mobile devices have freed them from the burdens of imagination. So if you were thinking of introducing your kids to the DIY joys of origami, the wonders of seeing a paper boat actually float won’t be enough. You’ll also need this tiny outboard motor so it can cruise around your bathtub on its own.
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Dec 10
A trip to the toy store is supposed to be about finding gifts for all the kids on your Christmas list, but we all know at least one grownup who’s considered an adult in age only. So here are some perfect ideas for anyone who still professes to be a kid at heart, even if they’re old enough to be paying off a mortgage.
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Dec 10
Anyone who grew up with a tiny garage full of Hot Wheels cars must remember those plush playmats featuring roads, parking lots, and parks. You were free to cruise around anywhere you liked—but what kind of message does that send to future drivers? These IVI 3D Play Carpets are a much better alternative, featuring a mix of soft carpet and smooth roads that limit where a tiny car can roam.
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Dec 10
There are puzzles that toy with our minds in a fun way, and then there are those meant only to try and cause harm to your brain. The Rubik’s Cube is a fun little teaser which can keep you occupied for some time if you don’t know the trick to solve it. To the untrained eye, it can seem very difficult. Needless to say, that’s only the tip of the iceberg for this sort of puzzle, but someone decided using colors wasn’t difficult enough.
For those of you who enjoy math, and solving what seems like the most complicated tests of the mind, the Magic Cube might be of interest. This is a Mathematic 3D Logic Puzzle that has a different series of numbers on each face. This includes:
- Prime Number Series – A prime number is a whole number that is greater than one and has exactly two factors: 1 and itself. These are the first 9 prime numbers in an infinite series.
- Fibonacci Series – To obtain each number of the series, you simple add the two numbers that came before it. Each number in the series is the sum of the two numbers preceding it.
- Triangle Series – This exponentially expanding set of numbers is generated from a pattern of dots which form an equilateral triangle. By adding another row of dots you can find the next number of the sequence.
- Magic Square – A magic square is an arrangement of numbers in a square grid, where the numbers in each row, column, and diagonal add up to 15.
- Digits of Pi – Pi is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.
- Digits of E – Euler’s number is a mathematical constant, an irrational number, and one of the most important numbers in mathematics.
Needless to say, this one is going to be a doozy. All the faces have to be solved for it to be ‘completed’. If you’re up for a rousing headache, this will cost you around $20.
Available for purchase on ThinkGeek
[ The Magic Cube is a Rubik’s Cube only a Vulcan could love copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Dec 07
Philadelphia-based Abby Ryan Design came up with this fun infographic of the most popular toys from 50 years of holiday shopping. If you were a child during any of that time, you’ll doubtless recognize something. Then you’ll scratch your head in bafflement at how damned expensive today’s most-requested gifts are.
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Dec 07
The Christmas Tinner is a Christmas dinner in a can. You can eat it all day long. Start at the top and work your way down throughout the day. Scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, mince pie for morning dessert. And on down through the day with turkey, potatoes, gravy, and more, all the way […]
Dec 06
If you’re in the mood for an above-average strange and positive learning tool for kids this season, creators Gauri Nanda and Audry Hill have a project you might want to take a peek at: ToyMail. Using handheld toys called “mailmen”, this project allows the user to record a message in an iPhone app and subsequently […]
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