Kitten lamps

Today is one of those rare occasions when I see something amazing and I feel a real urge to share it with the word (through a blog that no one reads according to this new stats section in blogger, ohh...)

Anyway these cute kitten lamps called MiCha are designed by Kuntzel & Deygas and are my recent find from the Mint Shop. They come in several very natural kitty poses like those below:

They look so playful and fun - a piece of everyday technology given character by a simple reference to a domestic animal. Obviously they do not look like they could be functional lamps considering a big nose and whiskers in the middle of the shade. However I think their main value and function is some sort of comforting quality. They are more like robot pets that engage with the "owner" (user) by starring at him (shedding light). The more I look at them they also seem really cheeky -  how they just shamelessly look at you, little torch heads or spy under your bed revealing all the dust. :)
Anyhow  I wouldn't mind having one of those in my room - I could always pull his tail out of the socket if I'm fed up of him starring :) And considering I am just decorating my new place and my birthday's coming... Oh hold on... they are only 1500 euro a piece... I better stick with my good old meowing, furry one.

Lego booties

When I was little I hated tying my shoelaces. I bet if I was given a pair of those Kickers Lego, doing my shoes would have been my favourite thing.

I think that Lego's interlocking system is one of the best fastenings ever invented, so using it in many different applications is a way to go. And being used in children's clothing and shoes gives them amazing play value.

via Babygadget

Trzymyszy - cardboard toys

And again I find myself sighing about a toy design...

Trzymyszy (from polish: three mice) is a designer duo that is designing and producing cardboard toys for children. Inspired by their own kids, two graduates of  Warsaw Art Academy decided to make DIY houses and planes from card that can be build and painted by children according to their own taste.
I believe this is a great idea which encourages kids to make their own toys. Besides, how many times did the packaging box become more entertaining toy than the actual content.

house and its creators

pilot and his aeroplane

this clock looks amazing - I wonder if the gears turn - how cool would that be if it was actually working

Irrational toys

Something I really appreciate about childhood is its irrationality - kids perceive the world according to what they see and experience. The rest is dictated by their imagination often stimulated by stories, tales and legends they hear or watch. As adults I don't think we can fully understand and appreciate the beauty of this imaginative and irrational thinking. Therefore I really value toys that are produced to satisfy children's abstract rationale.

One example of a irrational toy I have seen recently on Yankodesign.com and it's called Echo. It is a soft creature without face but with a big ears and a peculiar wooden trumpet instead of mouth. The ears are connected to the trumpet using the string-phone fashion so Echo responds when a child is whispering some secrets into its ear.

It was created by Emi Schenkelbach.

via Yankodesign

Another really nice design which stayed in my memory since I have first seen in in Mint Design shop in London a year ago. It is called Buba and it was produced by Alon Meron.

Buba is a guardian against dark matter and its magical power comes from children's fallen milk teeth. I think this is a beautiful story. And here again  Buba doesn't have face - he has two rows of sharp teeth that scare the ghosts and monsters of the night.