Tools Needed To Be A Toy Designer

Architecture and Design Toys for Kids

Discover the best toys for budding architects and designers

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  Photo courtesy of Phaidon

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  Get a bird's-eye view (literally) of the world's greatest buildings and structures, courtesy of the architecturally inclined pigeon, Speck Lee Tailfeather, in author Stella Gurney's and illustrator Natsko Seki's charming children's book. Speck visits ancient and modern marvels from the Great Wall of China (known to pigeons as the Great Worm) to the Sydney Opera House (Hungry Beaks Hall) to Tadao Ando's Church of Light (The Little Gray Box). Architecture According to Pigeons (Phaidon, $20). phaidon.com

• Photo courtesy of Haba

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  A classic wooden toy gets a historical update in Haba's architectural series. Suitable for ages five and up, the beechwood blocks are available in a variety of styles, allowing kids to build a Russian cathedral or learn the engineering principles behind the arches used for the Roman aqueducts. Roman arch architectural set, 114 pieces, $46. habausa.com

• Photo courtesy of Abrams Books

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  Young Iggy Peck has a talent for building, but his dream of being an architect is challenged by his second grade teacher, Miss Lila Greer, who dislikes architecture and thinks it has no place in the classroom. Andrea Beaty's clever rhyming text accompanies David Roberts's striking mixed-media illustrations in this humorous story for ages four to eight about following your passions, no matter what. Iggy Peck, Architect (Abrams Books for Young Readers, $17). abramsbooks.com

• Photo: Vicenç Prats (Starpestudi)

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  Ditch the unsightly plastic playhouse for one that could practically double as outdoor art. SmartPlayhouse's Kyoto Junior takes inspiration from Toyo Ito and other Japanese architects and offers a space for the design stars of the future to let their creativity blossom. The easy-to-assemble structure is made of birch plywood with acrylic windows and nonslip flooring. SmartPlayhouse Kyoto Junior, 5′ 7″ l. x 5′ d. x 5′ h., $7,500. hayneedle.com

• Photo courtesy of Abrams Books

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  Steven Guarnaccia gives two popular children's stories a high-design twist. In The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale, the pig protagonists are based on Frank Gehry (who builds his house out of scraps), Philip Johnson (who builds his house out of glass), and Frank Lloyd Wright (who builds his house out of stone and concrete). In Goldilocks and the Three Bears: A Tale Moderne, Goldilocks trespasses in the bears' 1950s-style split-level, furnished with a Mackintosh ladder chair (too hard), a Jacobsen Egg chair (too soft), and an Eames LCW chair (just right). Design-savvy parents will enjoy spotting the iconic items decorating the homes in both books. The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale and Goldilocks and the Three Bears: A Tale Modern (Abrams Books for Young Readers, $19 each). abramsbooks.com

• Photo courtesy of the LEGO Group

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  Lego's architecture line lets kids 12 and up rebuild the masterpieces brick by plastic brick. The architect series includes modern buildings such as the Villa Savoye, Imperial Hotel, Fallingwater, and the Farnsworth House, while the landmark series comprises sites like the Trevi fountain, the Eiffel Tower, and the United Nations Headquarters. Each kit includes a booklet with details on the building's history and design. Lego Architecture: Fallingwater Model Kit, $100. shop.lego.com

• Photo courtesy of Brinca Dada

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  Go ahead—put Barbie's Dream House on the market. Inspired by the work of Paul Rudolph and Tadao Ando, Brinca Dada's Zoe House is a contemporary addition to the playroom. The latest release in the company's line of modern dollhouses, the three-level MDF home features five living spaces and comes with 23 pieces of furniture. Zoe House, 16" w. x 15" d. x 23" h., $170. brincadada.com

• Photo: Imants Caklais

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  Adults and older kids can re-create architectural masterpieces with Paperlandmark's model kits. From bridges to monuments to buildings, the highly detailed models are available as printed kits, which require scissors and patience, as well as precut versions. Ronchamp Chapel Model Kit, $20 (printed) or $35 (precut). paperlandmarks.com

• Photo courtesy of Minimii

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  After a search for a modern dollhouse for her three children came up short, Linda Stenberg created a 1:16 scale version of designer Arne Jacobsen's home in Charlottenlund, Denmark. The wood house can be hung on the wall (the façade detaches) or kept freestanding, and the company also sells mini Egg, Swan, and Seven chairs, rugs, and wallpaper to add authentic decor. Wallhanging Arne Jacobsen House, 24.4" l. x 12.2" w. x 14.9" h., $495. mimimii.com

• Photo courtesy of Mitoi

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  Introduce little ones to the architecture of Barcelona with Mitoi's Miciti stacking game. Capturing the forms of Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia (which may actually be completed during a toddler's lifetime), Jean Nouvel's Agbar Tower, Ricardo Bofill's W Hotel, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's Hotel Arts, and Iñigo Ortiz & Enrique León Arquitectos' Mapfre Tower, the colorful solid-birch toys help develop motor skills in children 18 months and older. A set of global structures, MiWorld, including the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Empire State Building, and an Asian pagoda is also available. Miciti, $31. mitoibcn.com

• Photo courtesy of MoMA

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  Old Frank and his grandson and fellow architect Young Frank disagree on what real architecture is, so they take a trip to the Museum of Modern Art and learn that there's no limit to what architects can create, in author and illustrator Frank Viva's imaginative book. Young Frank, Architect (The Museum of Modern Art, $17). momastore.org

• Photo credit: Courtesy of Plan Toys

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  Set your child on the path to embracing environmentally-conscious living with the Green Dollhouse from Plan Toys. The two-story, five-room rubberwood home includes a solar panel, wind turbine, electric inverter, rain barrel, recycling bins, plant bio-façade, and an adjustable canopy to regulate light and wind circulation. Green Dollhouse with furniture, 22.3" d. x 17.9" w. x 21.9" h., $240. usa.plantoys.com

Tools Needed To Be A Toy Designer

Source: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/best-toys-young-architects-slideshow

Posted by: rainesoves1951.blogspot.com

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