Archive for the ‘Toy Education’ Category

One of the most popular types of collectibles is the elephant toy.

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

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John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com
Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

Michael Don Knapik (1956-2009) says: Toy elephants? No, I do not mean a very small species of live elephant, but elephants made by toy makers to be played with. You see, I wrote the first book on elephant collectibles called: Everything Elephants: A Collector’s Pictorial Encyclopedia.  As I collected information and images about elephant collectibles for my encyclopedia, I noticed that elephants made specifically as toys are quite numerous, so I created three categories (out of the 140 categories in the encyclopedia) to hold them: Puzzles, Stuffed Elephants and Toys & Games. In those three categories there are hundreds if not thousands of examples and no single article can show them all. However, I hope to give you a flavor of the variety of elephant toys available for the toy and elephant collector alike. Read More.

American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the importance of free playtime in promoting healthy child development.

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

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John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com
Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an idea opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children. This report addresses a variety of factors that have reduced play, including a hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, and increased attention to academics and enrichment activities at the expense of recess or free child-centered play. Read More.

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TOY CHALLENGE: A national toy design challenge for 5th-8th graders.

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

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John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com
Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

logo-tcTOYchallenge is a national toy design challenge for 5th-8th graders. It’s an opportunity for teams of imaginative kids to create a new toy or game. Kids grow through engaging in TOYchallenge in many other ways, too: from developing a sense of teamwork, to becoming familiar with the engineering design process and building self-confidence. Read More.

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Kaloo is shipping it’s new line of fun and colorful Canadian children’s Furniture Spring 2010.

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

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John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com
Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

Kaloo’s whimsical and timely children’s furniture line is well-made and full of charm. Check out the line on their website and take a look at their plush toy line while your there. Kaloo has a nack for developing and manufacturing toys for infants and toddlers. Kaloo website.
 
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The Erector Set was created by one of the most multi-talented toy inventors of all time.

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

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John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com
Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

(A. C. Gilbert 1884-1962) Gilbert was one of the most multi-talented inventors of all time. With many fields open to his ingenuity, he chose to educate and entertain children through toys. He was born in Salem, Oregon in 1884. His boyhood love was magic tricks. He became so proficient that he once matched a traveling professional magician trick for trick. Gilbert was also a brilliant student and attended Yale Medical School. He helped pay his tuition by performing as a magician, and founded a company, Mysto Manufacturing, which sold magic kits for kids. In 1909  Gilbert finished medical school and decided to expand his growing toy business rather than practice as a doctor. Read More.

erector set Today’s Erector Sets keep pace with technology and cultural changes.

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Highlights from an antique auction that include an A.C. Gilbert Erector Set, 1930, set number 10, estimated to bring $8,000-12,000. Shown at right is an A.C. Gilbert Erector Set, 1932, set number 10, all original parts, estimated to bring $20,000-40,000. Read More.

Dr Edward de Bono’s over-complicated discussion on the importance of simplicity applies directly to the art of toymaking.

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

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John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com
Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

Dr. De Bono breifly and profusely discusses the need for simplicity in life. Edward de Bono studied at St Edward’s College in Malta and gained a medical degree from the University of Malta. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Christ Church, Oxford where he gained an M.A. degree in psychology and physiology. He also has a Ph.D. degree and a D.Phil. degree in Medicine from Cambridge University, a D.Des. degree (Doctor of Design) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and an LL.D. degree from the University of Dundee. He holds professorships at the Universities of Malta, Pretoria, Dublin City University, and the University of Central England. The New University of Advancing Technology in Phoenix AZ appointed Dr. de Bono Da Vinci Professor of Thinking in May 2005. He is one of the 27 for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009. He was formerly married, has two sons and resides on the Channel Islands. In 1969 de Bono founded the Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) which continues to produce and promote material based on his ideas. He has written 82 books with translations into 41 languages. Read More.

 

Elizabeth Gilbert’s insights on nurturing creativity could be of help to the wacky toy designer.

Monday, March 8th, 2010

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John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com
Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius. It’s a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk. Read More.

Steph Doyle loves tin toys and the resurgence of tin toy popularity.

Monday, March 1st, 2010

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John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com
Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

Steph says: After While exploring Northwest Ohio’s largest antique emporium, I noticed that almost every vendor has at least one tin toy for sale. The toys ranged from cars to clown banks. I have always loved tin toy airplanes and was pleased to find so many. I began to think about what it is about tin toys that I find so fascinating, my favorites being airplanes, robots, and spaceships. So I decided to do a little research on the history of tin toys to get an answer. Read More.

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The History Channel reviews the origins of your favorite toys and games.

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

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 John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com
Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

History Channel says: Discover the origins of your favorite toys and games, from chess and checkers to Barbie and Atari. Find out how many crayons are produced each day, who invented Lincoln Logs (hint: he’s the son of a world-famous architect), and which classic toy truck is the brainchild of a group of Minnesota school teachers. Plus: Learn more about the industry’s most successful inventors, including Milton Bradley and the Parker brothers. Visit Site.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO (This link takes you to a series of videos on toys so wait a second after the first video for the next one to begin.)

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers free classes in Toy Design with the MIT Open Courseware program.

Friday, February 12th, 2010

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John W. Lewman Toy Designer www.toymakerpress.com

Publishers of fun to make wood toy projects and plans.

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity. MIT OpenCourseWare is a free publication of MIT course materials that reflects almost all the undergraduate and graduate subjects taught at MIT. Read More.