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Entries Tagged as 'Toys'

6 of the best memory games for kids

February 23, 2012

When I was a kiddo, I used to love memory games. I remember playing for hours on end with whoever I could rope in to play with me. It was often my brother who was very competitive but I was too good for him! I now want to play with my daughter and have been on the hunt for something that’s fun but also a bit unusual and of course it has to rank high in the looks department too. After searching for a while I’ve narrowed it down to these 6 memory games that I love:

1. This isn’t your typical memory game. It’s an auditory memory game where one person shakes one of the wooden pieces and the other person who has her eyes closed has to guess which one was shaken. They guess by shaking all the pieces and trying to remember the sound they heard. I love the natural wood and the matryoshka doll like shapes brought to life with colourful ribbons. To find out more, visit Jack be Nimble Toys.

2. Dwell Studio are a firm favourite of mine. They create beautifully packaged, colourful and fun toys for kids. This woodland memory game is no exception. It’s made of solid wood and it’s chunky enough for even a 2 year old to handle. I love the bold colours and the cute animal graphics. You’ll find this over at Darling Clementine which is a fab new US based store.

3. I love these gorgeous bold and bright popsicles and the best part is that this is a DIY memory game so you can happily make it and get your little ones to help. Head to Eat Drink Chic where you’ll find all the instructions, templates and rules and all for free! Don’t they look good enough to eat?!

4. This memory game is super stylish and consists of natural wooden blocks dressed in cloth bags and of course they come in pairs as with all memory games. This one is by Kedublock and once you’re done with the memory bit, the blocks can be undressed and played with or even decorated.

5. This is another DIY memory game, this time it consists of nut shells with coloured paper stuck on one side. It’s a simple but very sweet little idea and your kiddo can enjoy making it too. You can also take this idea and make a memory game out of so many little objects like flat pebbles, shells or anything else you can think of. I found this nutshell memory game on Kedublocks blog.

6. Featuring Czech artist JouJou’s quirky signature-style animal and character illustrations, this is another fabulous memory game. I ‘m loving the fun and unusual illustrations that come in a box consisting of 15 pairs. I found these over at Kickan & Conkers store where there are a lot of other goodies for kids too.

Pretty wooden alaphabet blocks and more

January 31, 2012

I was searching for wooden alphabet blocks on etsy when one particular set caught my eye. I clicked and was taken to a shop filled with beautiful illustrations not just on blocks but on wall prints and little books too. I loved what I saw so ditched my previous post idea and decided to make today all about the British illustrator Julia Staite. I do love etsy for the unique talent it’s filled with and Julia’s work is the perfect example. Her illustrations are so pretty! There’s lots of colour, some whimsical characters, quirky drawings and above all it’s fun. The blocks are great for play but they’d also make lovely decorations for a nursery and Julia also offers personalised wooden alphabet blocks so you can have your babies name spelled out. I’m very keen on the circus themed prints too which would work equally well in a toddler, kiddy or nursery space. You can find all this and more over at Julia Staite’s shop.

Stunning: Crochet toys and blankets from Argentina

January 13, 2012

When I saw these crochet toys, I was besotted. Admittedly I’m a bit of a crochet junkie but these toys and crochet blankets are possibly the most beautiful ones I’ve ever come across. They’re made in sunny Argentina by a mama who clearly has lots and lots of talent, imagination and creativity. I’m loving the lion rattle with his gorgeous little crochet bed and blanket. The elephant toy is lovely too as are the blankets. In fact it’s all quite stunning! I’m also loving the colours… mostly soft tones but sometimes complimented with a hint of colour. I could go on and on but I’ll leave you to discover the rest at Miga de Pan. There doesn’t seem to be a shop yet but you can email the mama in question if you’d like to buy. I’m so, so tempted!

P.S. Have you seen these crochet fish bones?

*Via Cirkus

Chigo: Stunning wooden toys from Japan

January 10, 2012

I’m a huge fan of Japanese toys for kids, especially wooden ones. The Japanese somehow manage to take a piece of wood and turn it in to something so simple yet so beautiful. Today it’s all about Chigo toys from Japan. I’ve had my eye on these toys for a while and once you see them you’ll know why they’re so special. I love the simplicity of the shapes and the combination of lots of natural wood with splashes of bold colour. My favourite is the house shaped blocks set but the wooden bowling set is a goodie too. You can buy the house blocks* from Gretel Home who ship worldwide or you can just admire the toys over at Chigo.jp. And while you’re there, don’t miss the very cool wooden camera and play phone.

*Via Remodalista.com

Wooden toy boats to wow!

December 13, 2011

I can’t believe I’m getting so excited about a boat… yes a boat! But when you see these boats you’ll know exactly why. They’re truly beautiful toys that have been made with such precision and attention to detail. These wooden toy boats are actually ships (I just like the word boat!) that are scaled down versions of real ships. They’re the creation of a design consultancy called Postler Ferguson made for a small toy company called Papa Foxtrot. I love the soft blue colour, I love that you put them together yourself and best of all I just love how stunning they look. I first came across them at Flora & Henri which is a lovely kids store based in Seattle. There’s a lot more to be said about Flora & Henri but I’ll save that for another day. For today, I just want to stare at these utterly beautiful toys. You can check them out and buy at Papa Foxtrot.

Hand made toys or hand made art?

December 8, 2011

While browsing the marketplace that is Etsy, I found these Spanish hand made cardboard toys called ‘Paper Friends’. These whimsical art toys are the creation of an illustrator called Blanca Helga who is enamoured with the world of children and it shows. The art toys can be played with or can be decorations too. But I think they would make fabulously unusual kid’s room art – just pop them in a frame and job done. I’m really loving the folk art vibe coming through the creations and I’m loving their all round quirkiness. If you’re looking for kids room art that is truly unique and individual then I can’t think of anything better. You’ll find these hand made cardboard art toys over at Blanca Helga’s etsy store or you can check out her own site too.

Colour love: Blue

December 5, 2011

If you’re a regular here, you’ll know that I’m not a blue for boy and pink for girl type of mama. Blue can be just as much for girls as it can be for boys. So with that in mind, I’ve found some lovely blue nursery decorations, toys and clothes some for boys, some for girls but mostly things that are for both.

1. Soft and girly butterfly wings to wear or even hang on the wall by Christa Davis.

2. A little car kit that you put together and decorate with the included crayons by Fidoodle.

3. Sweet, sweet bamboo elephant mobile with big blue ears by Petit Collage.

4. A beautiful powder blue bench for a kids bedroom or a play space by Guy and Brown.*

5. A cute hand made felt singing bird soft toy by Colourland on etsy.

6. A house shaped toy storage box by Rice DK available from Nettle Green.

7. Adorable birdie coat pegs or door handles by Zachary Dickory Dock.

8. A cool ribbed hooded jumper in electric blue by Stella McCartney kids.

P.S. Have you seen our Orange colour love goodies? Also, if blue floats your boat, you can check out our turquoise nursery furniture and decor ideas.

*Via Handmade Charlotte

5 little trucks went out one day…

November 30, 2011

5 little trucks went out one day, over the hills and far away… sorry, I couldn’t resist and now the song won’t leave my head! Moving on to the wooden trucks (not ducks!), I think wooden toys are just the best. They’re keepers that can be handed down from child to child, even generation to generation. And of course they look beautiful too. Today I’ve rounded up 5 fabulous wooden toy trucks or lorries as some may call them. Some are colourful, some are natural wood but all are fine looking toys that can be treasured forever:

1. A smooth natural wood truck and a crayon holder by Country Side Gifts on Etsy.

2. Bold and bright yellow, is it a truck or a tank?! It’s by Kids on roof.

3. Natural wood again but this time it’s a cool log transporting lorry by Bella Luna toys.

4. A chubby looking little wooden dump truck in glorious lipstick red from a store called Theo.

5. Another dump truck but in green with a slim body and chunky wheels by Manny & Simon.

P.S. Have you seen our Christmas 2011 wooden toy gift selection?

Traditional toys: Beautiful spinning tops

November 15, 2011

There are some toys that will never go out of style and the spinning top is one of them. Eons ago kids got immense joy from these little spinning wonders and nothing’s changed. Even as a grown-up, I still love tops. I often find one of those little plastic ones in a Christmas cracker and I can’t help but incessantly spin it. So when I spotted these absolutely beautiful spinning tops, I fell in love. Made by Mader, they’re so elegant and graceful looking. There’s a huge range available, with some coloured, some natural, some tall and some short. I have never seen a collection of tops so stunning. Mader was founded in 1991 in Austria by a husband and wife team and all their tops are made by hand. To check out the huge selection visit PucciManuli or try amazon.com who also have loads.

*Via Handmade Charlotte

P.S. Have you seen our 2011 Christmas gift guide? If not, check it out as there’s loads of lovely gift ideas for the kids.

2011 Christmas gift guide: Wooden toys

November 11, 2011

Today I bring you the next lot of goodies in my 2011 Christmas gift guide for kids. And this one is all about wooden toys. It’s no secret that I love wooden toys so I’ve searched the web to bring you some of the loveliest ones around. Here’s the list:

1. A modern dolls house that’s so cool. By Hase weiss.

2. Create your own city with these chalkboards, cars, traffic signals and trees. By Kiko Kids from Sisters Guild.

3. Cute little wooden cat and dog toy from Baileys Home & Garden.

4. A push along giraffe by Manny & Simon. It’s from Huggle (you’ll need to call as they’re not selling online yet).

5. A wooden matching memory game from Little Sapling toys.

6. A sweet hand painted necklace that’s also a stamp from e-side.

7. Colourful and beautiful alphabet blocks with a wagon by Uncle Goose. From Peanut & Pip.

8. Very simple but stylish doctors set all in wood by US based Soopsori. (International shipping’s available but it’s not cheap).

9. A cool wooden laptop that’s a chalkboard. It’s called i-wood and comes from Oliver Bonas.

For lots more gift ideas for kids, check out our other gift guides: Paper gifts, gifts for newborns and babies, kids books and soft toys.