“The Paperpod Rocket is a fantastic resource to encourage role-play and stimulate your child’s imagination. Your young astronauts can decorate both inside and out before zooming off to distant planets to enjoy their own space adventure.”

“Paperpod have developed an innovative concept in creative toys & furniture for children. We have produced a range of environmentally friendly, cost effective, sturdy, and practical designs made from recycled corrugated cardboard.

From our range of chairs to the toy fort, dolls house and play house, the beauty lies in their simplicity. They are a blank canvas for children to play, create & decorate using paint, collage, pens & crayons, limited only by imagination.

Everything can be folded flat – an ideal storage solution. Use in the home, childcare setting or school to create a personal touch. Excellent for children’s parties!”

via Periwinklebloom

” I enjoy creating works in the pursuit of my own aesthetic language. Expanding my visual vocabulary will be for me an everlasting pursuit. For this reason I am concerned with the presence of formal qualities in my work – balance, color, composition, contrast, push-pull effect, shape, texture, variety of mark makings, visual weight, and so on. Creating visual movements in relation to the formal elements is also an interesting way for me to increase my vocabulary and develop my language as an artist (what I call an “art enjoyer”).”

feelgood designs “is a company defined by a belief that good design can transform lives and by the principle that ‘children deserve beauty’. We are proud to introduce our first line: PLAY+SOFT.

PLAY+SOFT creates vibrant, safe, stimulating and flexible environments for children to explore and enjoy. From an original idea by Maurizio Fontanili, PLAY+SOFT is the result of a long-term collaboration between designers, architects and the world-renowned educators at Reggio Emilia in Italy, and was inspired by research into the way children interact with their surroundings when at play. But while the inspiration may have been academic, the results are anything but. From play blocks fashioned to look like a giant swiss cheese to a ‘smell tunnel’ designed to delight the senses, each item of furniture bursts with colour and vitality. Perfect for domestic, public and educational settings, PLAY+SOFT embodies one simple idea: children have a right to beauty.”

Re-Stick wall decal from Blik.

I have a t-shirt with this animal zoo print on it and the children just love it!

“Compassionate Eye Foundation is an innovative non-profit organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia. We are a group of people, photographers and creative professionals, committed to making a positive difference in the world. We promote education, health, and sustainability in developing nations.

Photographers and their crews produce stock photo shoots on or around June 21st, the Summer Solstice. The royalty revenues generated through image licensing at Getty Images are donated to CEF. This provides a significant portion of our funding model. We also receive private and corporate donations.”

“Eco-dough is an all natural alternative. We make it with plant, fruit and veggie extracts! No chemicals, artificial dyes or metals. Our containers are made from cornstarch and 100% compostable. Also it doesn’t dry out like name brands. If it’s left out overnight just add a few drops of olive oil and it comes right back!”

Colors are raspberry, mango, lemon, lime and blueberry UNSCENTED

Note: “Based on your child’s dietary needs we handmake non-toxic, natural gluten free, soy free and dairy free eco-dough.”

Something to consider when working with children

via swissmiss and a few others.

“Most children learn to read going letter-by-letter, learning which sounds go with which shapes until they can blend the sounds together to form words. This is why new readers proceed slowly and sometimes struggle with pronunciation and syllable stress. The efforts of new readers can be supported by making sure their texts use inviting, easy-to-read typefaces, set in the most readable way.”

“When selecting a typeface for a children’s text, look for a warm, friendly design with simple, generous letter shapes. The counters (the enclosed shapes within characters) should be rounded and open, not angular or rectangular. Avoid non-traditional letterforms. A good example of a typeface with these attributes is Sassoon Primary, designed specifically for children.”

Read more about typography for children at fonts.com .

“In the inner-city of Johannesburg, The GreenHouse Project is turning one urban park into a seedbed for sustainable communities. The program takes a holistic approach to the city’s challenges, integrating green building and design, efficient and renewable energy, recycling, organic farming and nutrition.”

1. The Ceiling Hooks
The play webbing and swings hang from hooks welded to the building’s steel support beams.

2. The Drawings
The artist prints are reproductions of famous pieces by Picasso, Chagall, and others; they were originally in Kellogg’s uncle’s house.

3. The Children’s Desks
No PlayStations here. Lukas and Clara each have a desk and plenty of supplies to encourage creative projects.

4. The Gym Mats, Webbing, and Atlas
The crash-preventing cushions and mind-expanding wall decoration were found online.

“Architect Diana Kellogg and writer-director Neil Burger have created the ultimate play/work space for their kids, Lukas and Clara in their Tribeca apartment that was once a cold-storage warehouse. A room where gymnastics and homework is possible? Genius.”

via swissmiss / New York Magazine