Citius, Altius, Fortius* And Smurfs

* Faster, Higher, Stronger (motto of the Olympic Games)

In just 90 short days, the 2012 Summer Olympics will open in London, and the world will once again find itself sitting on its sofa in front of the television, intently watching athletes from all around the globe (most of whom they will never have heard of before) compete in sports from archery to wrestling.

Not surprisingly, the British in general and Londoners in particular are bracing for the influx of athletes and spectators, for the crowds and the traffic and the spikes in hotel rates and restaurant costs.

What the world in general may not have counted upon, however, is the arrival of the tiniest athletic delegation of all.  The question for 2012 is:  Has the Olympic movement made provision for the Smurfs?  Because they are already here.

New from Schleich in 2012 are ten Olympic-themed Smurfs.  They represent sporting traditions from the equestrian ring to the swimming pool, and the designs are full of the cheeky humour we’ve come to expect (check out the Usain Bolt-type gold spikes on the sprinter!)

These ten little athletes will be wonderful souvenirs of this summer’s games!

In stock now.

This Spud’s For You!

Fischer Tip is a modeling material made in Germany by the legendary Fischertechnik GmbH.  Fischer Tip was launched in 1998, and was given a big thumbs-up from European testing organizations because of its totally non-toxic character and its limitless imaginative potential.  Kids love it because they can let their imaginations run wild!  Parents love it because it’s a safe and easy product to use.

Fischer Tip is manufactured in Germany from potato starch and non-toxic food dye.  The coloured starch is extruded into a puffy cylinder (kind of like a snack food) and chopped into easy-to-handle pieces.  This environmentally-friendly material sticks together without glue — the pieces need only be moistened using a damp sponge and pressed together so that they adhere.  The pieces may be safely cut and shaped using the included plastic cutting tool.  Larger sets may include more tools, including stencil inserts that pieces may be squished inside to form “brick” shapes, rasps for shaving pieces into different shapes, templates, and so on.

We have a number of different sets in stock, from small “try-me” sets at $10 (about 80 pieces plus sponge, cutting tool, and instructions) to much larger sets with hundreds of pieces and more accessories.

This is great stuff for quick, clean crafts with minimal clean-up.  It’s light as air, so it travels well, and the only thing you need is a damp sponge, so there’s really no mess (your in-laws will thank you!)  Fischer Tip is a super choice for something to keep kids amused and creative, and the art that kids have created with it can be pretty breathtaking!

Looking for Neat Things? Wind Up Here

Wind Farm Near Lowville, NY

While driving to and from Providence, Rhode Island, last week, we passed an array of enormous windmills located on Route 12 in upstate New York.  These giants, each about 320 feet tall — the height of London’s Big Ben — are part of the 195 windmills forming the Maple Ridge Wind Farm.  This generating operation produces some 320 megawatts, currently three-quarters of New York State’s wind-power capacity.

These things are huge.  One alone would be impressive:  to see fifteen or twenty turning together (all that were visible from the highway) had an undeniable impact.  They resembled nothing so much as an army of invading aliens towering over the landscape.  Or giant wind-up toys …

Which brings me to Z Windups, from California Creations.  Z Windups makes the coolest wind-ups I have ever seen, including Larry the Dancing Robot, a cool green dude whose dance repertoire includes bobbing from side to side and doing the splits!  Or how about Zoom, a walking camera whose eye moves, whose magnifier moves up and down, and whose lens spins?

Zoom

The appeal of wind-up toys is obvious, with no toxic batteries to buy, discard, or worry about.  These particular wind-ups are not recommended for children under the age of three years, since they may have small pieces that could be broken off and ingested or inhaled, but for older children and adults they are amusing and inexpensive novelties.  The improved engineering and precision manufacturing of the intricate plastic gears and parts over the past twenty-five years has meant that good-quality wind-up toys, like those from Z Windups, last a long time with proper care.  The use of translucent plastic in the toys’ manufacture allows fascinated kids and adults to see the tiny gears, cams, and other working parts inside the toy as it performs.

Look for a quirky assortment of these to land in the store in the weeks ahead, priced around $5.99.