Africa today: “Women and children walk an average of 6 miles a day to collect water. 1 child dies every 15 seconds due to the lack of clean drinking water. More than 10 million children die every year from preventable illnesses. 270 million children have no access to public health services.”

Design For The Children “is an open, international design competition asking architects and designers from around the world to develop a sustainable, culturally responsive, pediatric clinic model for East Africa.”

Competition is closed. View the winner here.

The folks at imaginechildhood believe that “children should experience the world through their own eyes, ears, fingers, and toes. That direct interaction with nature is the best way to learn about the world, and that open-ended imaginative play is the best way to learn about what it could be.”

“Part community forum, part storefront, imaginechildhood.com is a place where parents and kids can find their own definition of childhood. On our blog and in our store we offer stories, activities, and innovative products that encourage exploration, creativity, and open-ended unstructured play. So take a moment and imagine childhood… what do you see?”

photos by imaginechildhood.com

Natural Pod “began out of our own desire to have beautiful, open-ended, natural toys for our children and a way to discover what is new and interesting in the world. And, of course, we derive some joy from finding just the right gift for someone, or for ourselves.

As parents we found it increasingly difficult to find quality natural play items that supported creative and imaginative play. During our search, we soon realized that many parents shared our passion. We hope to encourage more families to discover the benefits of natural toys and rediscover a true sense of play. These items can become an heirloom, passed down from one generation to the next.”
This “stacking puzzle is a great versatile toy, representing the element of water. The pieces can be used individually as a tunnel or small house. It is a wonderful addition to a seasonal table with shells and other water features”. Also available – stacking rainbow, cave and traditional rings.

Letraset by Marcus Fischer, day 111 of “making a thing a day (maybe more) for a year” – Truly Amazing!

An edition in the ongoing series METHODS & APPARATI for Social Facilitation and Mood Elevation by Keetra Dean Dixon. Published in UNTITLED 003

A couple of months ago I received three issues of TYC Magazine’s in the mail. I was pleasantly surprised as the content is ‘true to the field’, however it does not compare to its counterparts in the UK. Visit their website to read features from the current issue and be sure to check out the resource listing.

“The National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world’s largest organization for early childhood educators, has a magazine designed especially for preschool teachers. Teaching Young Children highlights current thinking on best practices in early childhood education, innovations in the field, research and its implications, and interesting ideas for and from preschool teachers. The articles and other features reinforce the accreditation criteria for the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards on Relationships and Teaching and encourage effective teaching in the preschool years.”

NEWS, PROJECTS, PAPERS and LINKS

EcoLabs gives us EcoMag – “a magazine about art, design & sustainability. Each issue will focus on a theme while investigating issues lying at the root of the ecological crisis”.

The theme of the first issue is ‘Future Scenarios’. EcoMag is available as a low resolution Pdf download here.

Barefoot Books “began with two mothers who wanted their children to have books that would feed the imagination, while instilling a respect for diversity and a love of the planet. Today, we are a world-wide community of writers, artists, storytellers, musicians, and others who are committed to providing timeless stories and captivating art that can help children become happy, engaged members of a global society.”

U N I F O R M Studio “designs and makes simple, modern clothing and accessories for infants, children, and adults.” This journal is an everyday read for me. M is an inspiration and being able to have a peek into her process and what inspires her, is a simple pleasure of mine.

They are located in Minneapolis, MN but you can shop online.

Photo/Art by Richard Shilling.

Inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy, Richard uses texture, colour and light in the great outdoors as his mediums. This amazing collection of photos of art within nature, has left me in awe. For more details on Richard work, visit his blog Land Art.