Thomas Jefferson: Maker-in-Chief
There is no “Maker in Chief” in the U.S. Constitution, but at least one president, Thomas Jefferson, certainly deserves that title.
make41
What Is a “Girl Toy”?
Take a 15-minute trip to a big-box store and you’ll see the girls’ aisle dominated by pink toys — dolls, play sets, games, and dress-up clothing, all in various shades of pink. Aside from the color, the toys share another similarity: They all encourage specific patterns of play that focus on role-play, nurturing, and domestic […]
Why the Banana Piano Makes Sense
Blindfolded, the child sat at a table before a set of toy bricks and another set of cubes. The child was asked to pick them up and sort them, putting bricks on one side and cubes on the other. It’s a simple but useful task for a 3-year-old, one of many object-based exercises that Maria […]
The Electric Giraffe Goes to Washington
When the President invites you to his house, you move heaven and earth and an 18-foot robot to get there.
Open BCI: Rise of the Brain-Computer Interface
During this summer’s Digital Revolution exhibition at London’s Barbican Museum, a small brainwave-influenced game sat sandwiched between Lady Gaga’s Haus of Gaga and Google’s DevArt booth. It was Not Impossible Labs’ Brainwriter installation, which combined Tobii eye tracking and an OpenBCI Electroencephalography (EEG) device to allow players to shoot laser beams at virtual robots with […]
Experience over Entertainment
The nature of play is evolving in overdrive. For years, kids have been migrating away from the historical toy categories that made the industry an economic juggernaut. With the rise of mobile, interactive screenplay has pulled a lot of users away from analog toys. With their low cost, high production values, deep interactivity, and (of […]
How to Get Your Toy Made
It’s a hard road, but hardly impossible. The following five experts have found success with their toy creations, and have supplied their tips and advice to help smooth a successful toy-making pathway for you.
