Tag Archives: game

Card game helps kids learn about colours and be offline

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There is still an ongoing conversation (debate) amongst educators, parents, and psychologists on the amount of screen time that we should allow kids to have. Of course there’s a balance between screens and offline activities although that’s pretty hard to achieve. It’s also hard to wean this generation away from their devices but one way is to provide alternative activities for them at school and especially at home. And maybe, we can even get them to create their own alternatives.

Designer: Pupils from The Piggot School

The winner for this year’s Design Museum’s Design Ventura competition may be a fun alternative for children and adults alike. The Colour Countdown card game created by the pupils at The Piggot School was inspired by classic analog games Uno and I Spy. It can bring out the competitive spirit amongst players but also lets them interact with their surroundings instead of just focusing on various screens. This is an annual competition for students aged 13-16 to create something that will eventually be sold in the Design Museum.

Each card has a coloured cellophane window and can be combined with other cards to create different blends of colours. The players have to find things around their space which will match the card or cards that they’re holding. It can be played in any environment but of course since you’re dealing with colours, it is better played somewhere with a lot of colourful objects around. The cards are also eco-friendly as it uses FSC-certified paper and the cellophane is made from wood pulp.

The next step for the Colour Countdown is that it will be developed by the students with a professional agency. It will eventually be manufactured and then sold at the Design Museum Shop so you actually have the chance to own and play this game. Who says only kids need to be weaned away from their screens?

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Move over LEGO… These human-shaped bricks plug in together to showcase the power of unity

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The idea of LEGO sparked from bricks, the concept of Minecraft sparked from pixels – but the Souper Connect has a much stronger metaphorical background. You see, each individual Souper brick is shaped like a human with a hole in them, and a single human brick can’t stand on its own. However, fill that hole with another human brick and the two can stand together. Build on this concept and you create a self-standing self-sustaining community, reflecting the power of human connectivity and the indomitable spirit of a healthy family or society. The cleverly designed bricks aren’t just great to play with, they’re also an overall lesson that we’re stronger together than we are alone. Quite a brilliant metaphor for what’s essentially just a set of building blocks, right?!

Designer: Peter Minsoub Sim

Click Here to Buy Now: $25 $42 (40% off). Hurry, only 8/35 left!

Created by visionary designer Peter Minsoub Sim, Souper Connect brings a new dimension to building blocks. The bricks are both the characters as well as the individual blocks, making them an incredibly creative toy for children as well as for adults. They’re a great way to stay entertained, learn valuable social and moral lessons, and the fact that all the Souper Connects are different colors just teaches an incredibly powerful aspect of human society – that people are different but they can still come together to build and grow.

Let your mind wander

Find focus at work

Have fun with the family

Take it with you wherever you go!

“These blocks offer a minimal and identifiable form that inspires imaginative play, collaboration, and with enough pieces can bring out the building engineer in any of us,” says Sim, who co-founded Souper Studio – the company behind the Souper Connect blocks. Each block is shaped like an abstract human, with two arms, two legs, a slight stub for a head, and a hole running through the chest. Two ‘humans’ can be connected simply by plugging an arm into the chest hole, bringing them closer together, but also giving you the ability to make complex shapes and forms. The overall gist is no different from LEGO, and you can use Souper humans to make a variety of shapes from towers and bridges to crowns. However, there’s also a unique fidget quality to the human bricks too, and they make rather decorative pendants for necklaces or bracelets.

Each Souper Connect is 1.9 inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, and 0.8 inches thick, making them incredibly safe around younger children too. The human bricks are molded from polypropylene plastic, making them incredibly durable and long-lasting, although there’s the ability to get them in aluminum too, sort of as a more premium toy for collectors. The bricks come in either a single unit as a keychain (or double if you choose the aluminum variant), or in playable sets of 12, 36, and 72, featuring an entire colorful bunch of Souper humans that you can bring together to create the utopia of your dreams! The Souper Connect is available at a special early bird discount on Kickstarter using the link below.

Click Here to Buy Now: $25 $42 (40% off). Hurry, only 8/35 left!

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The Little Toy is an Eames-inspired Ticket To Some Retro Fun and Creativity

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For everyone who loves DIY and spaces, this one’s for you! The Eames Office just pulled off the ultimate nostalgia move by resurrecting The Little Toy, a blast from the past that hasn’t seen the light of day since 1961. Charles and Ray Eames, the dynamic design duo, cooked up this gem in 1952 as a tabletop spin-off of their iconic creation, The Toy. And trust me, it’s not just a reissue; it’s a time-traveling invitation to creativity for both the OG fans and the newbies.

Designer: Eames Office

The Toy was for playing “in,” but The Little Toy is all about playing “with.” It’s like they miniaturized the fun, letting you build tiny sets, tents, and houses to jazz up your toy collection. Unlike its flexible predecessor, The Little Toy uses sturdier cardboard panels. It is a DIY dreamland for kids and grown-ups.

The Eames magic remains intact – freedom to build whatever your creative heart desires. The Little Toy consists of colored cardboard panels that are tougher than ever, replacing the old plastic-coated paper which is also a gesture towards sustainability. And forget the dowel rods; they’ve jazzed up the assembly with wireframes, making it a breeze to dive into the creative process.

Back in the day (1952-1961 to be exact), The Toy was the answer to space issues and a game-changer when paired with other toys. Tigrett Enterprises of Kansas made sure this mini marvel was a hit. It’s a testament to the Eameses’ knack for turning everyday materials into something extraordinary.

Fast forward to now, and The Little Toy is back, sporting a retro price tag of $79. This reissue isn’t just about reliving the good ol’ days; it’s an open invitation to explore prefab architecture and modular magic. With its vibrant panels and snazzy wireframes, you can go wildcrafting toy houses, funky sculptures, or even desktop architectural wonders.

This revived Little Toy isn’t just a relic; it’s your golden ticket to unlocking creativity, just like it did over fifty years ago. The Eames Office has not only resurrected a classic but handed you a chance to embrace that timeless spirit of play and innovation. So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the past and let your creativity run wild!

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