What kid hasn’t cast a bunny shadow on their bedroom wall? Well big kid and Italian conceptual artist Mario Mariotti spent much of his life coaxing the art of hand sculpture out of the dark. The results are so beautiful, surprising, humorous and frankly inspirational enough to make me want to try my hand at it (sorry, couldn’t help it). I’m thinking a simple face painting kit could just as easily and safely be used on your kiddo’s hands for an afternoon of experimenting. View more of Mariotti’s ‘AniMani’ here or check out his 1998 children’s book Hanimations.

Pictures don’t do justice to the work of artist Tom Luckey. Literally. Not for lack of skill on the part of the photographer, but because of the overwhelming scale of his installations which tend to fill entire rooms from floor to ceiling making it impossible to capture in full. Known to make children squeal with delight and parent’s arch their eyebrows in concern, Tom is the architect of fantasy jungle gyms.

Featuring ribbon-like platforms that appear to float in mid air connected only by a tangled web of netting, these site specific installations turn our ideas of playground equipment on its head. I spent some time watching kids parade like ants through the Luckey Climbers’ installation at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago which resembles a deconstructed tree house. Brilliantly creative, you’ll find Tom’s handiwork in more than a dozen cities around the country. Pay a visit to his website to see if there’s one near you.

Every now and then I come across an idea so smart it makes me go “Doh!” (think Homer Simpson) “I wish I had thought of that!” Such is the case with Thing of the Month, a site packed with subscription based clubs in an excellent (and ever growing) selection of interest areas. Take for example the 12 month Flying Objects Club - once a month for an entire year a package arrives at your doorstep containing some freekin’ fantastic flying toy, be it a bird glider, a frisbee, a kite, a rocket, an airplane - all of which can take to the air and fly. Most of the clubs are kid-focused, although I tell you there are several I would love to subscribe to. Whether your passion is crafting, science, board games, robots, paper automata models or great toys for your toddlers there is a club for you. Come on, what kid (big or little) wouldn’t love receiving mail like this every month!

Depending on the interests of the recipient and the size of your pocketbook, you can select from 4, 6 and 12 month clubs or buy the items individually. OR if you’re a little impatient and want, say, all of the kits in the 6 month Origami Club right now - there’s an express option just for you. Below is just a partial sampling of the available clubs:

I know it’s a little earlier to discuss Halloween costumes, but when you’re a kid every day is a good day to dress up. Imaginative play can turn an old skirt into a nun’s habit or a bride’s veil, throw a pair of underpants over your head and a bath towel around your shoulders and bam! you’re a luchador!

There was a great dress up feature in the old Martha Stewart Kids magazine titled 7 Grocery Getups with how-to instructions for amazing costumes made entirely of standard household materials. I really miss Kids magazine, but fortunately a good deal of its content is archived on their site. Their editorial staff had such a great way of coordinating and presenting fun and beautifully designed projects and activities.

Along the same lines, was their take on the dress-up box - an easy to assemble, economic and highly imaginative staple for the playroom.

“From the moment 2-year-olds first slide they’re tiny feet into grown-ups’ shoes, they’re stepping into the magical world of pretend. Experts will say they’re learning another person’s point of view, but to your little grown-up, it’s simply about having fun. You can help your kids enjoy the adventure even more by setting up a well-stocked dress-up box.

The best places to get clothes for a dress-up box are the closets of grown-ups. If you don’t have much to cull from your own closet, put the word out to family and friends. Or visit thrift stores, yard sales, and discount stores, which can provide a wealth of inexpensive selections. The items should strike a balance between ones that have specific uses, such as a football helmet, and those that can have many, such as a scarf. Be sure to add plenty of accessories, and choose a wide array of styles. A great way to expand your child’s options is to occasionally swap some of the box’s contents with a friend’s. There is one item you’ll want to include even though it doesn’t fit in the box: a big mirror.”

Read the rest of the article here.

And since we’ve been discussing Ms. Martha’s magazines, hard core fans will be thrilled to know that the intensely organized folks over at craftlog have created an index of Living archived issues. Ladies and gentleman, I give you the MarthaDex (cue angel chorus).

Finally on the subject of dress up, I want to introduce you to the amazing quick change artist Ennio Marchetto, a comedian who has created his own theatrical language mixing mime, dance, music and costumes made out of card-board and paper. What this man does with paper (paper!) will amaze and inspire you. Following is a video montage from his stage show. If your browser doesn’t support YouTube, you can view the video here.

It’s rare that I come across a commercial I don’t want to TIVO over let alone share with others.  However, this week my pal Amy introduced me to a spot for the Sony Bravia tv that just made my list of favorite videos.  Imagine sending 250,000 multi-coloured ’superballs’ bouncing down the streets of San Francisco.  Danish director Nicolai Fuglsig did just that and paired it with the song ‘Heartbeats’, beautifully performed by José González.  If your browser doesn’t support YouTube videos you can see a larger and sharper version here.

I had the great pleasure of meeting balloon twister Addi Somekh a few years back at a preschool event where he was creating balloon hats for all of the students. We had such fun watching him work that I picked up one of his cards and decided to check out his web site. What I discovered was more than just info on a party performer, this was a guy passionate about his craft, someone who sees colors and shapes coming out of your head, and brings his visions to life in the form of elaborate sculptural balloon hats.

It was Addi’s friend Charlie Eckert, a photographer, who offhandedly suggested bringing balloon hats to random people around the world. Captivated by the idea, Addi and Charlie set out on a journey to create a photo art book drawn from their adventures and to prove their thesis: people everywhere need joy to survive, whether it be the Balkan States in the aftermath of war, the strife-ridden Middle East, or the forgotten jungles of the developing world. A sampling of images from their travels can be found below and many more can be found on Addi’s site which also includes stories and interviews with people they met along the way. I don’t use the word ‘inspirational’ often, but the manner in which Addi and Charlie executed their simple concept fits the bill in a beautiful way.

Photographic prints of several of the above images can be be purchased here.

In the midst of their world travels, Addi and Charlie met A.G. Vermouth, a documentary film maker and well, you can imagine where that might lead. Flash forward several years to June of 2005 and Balloon Hat, the documentary premieres. Learn more here.

Working with balloons on a daily basis, it only makes sense that Addi would become familiar with most every aspect of the inflatables, including the sounds they can produce. In the spring of 2004, he made 50 different balloon drums and then invited two of his favorite drummers to record a set of improvised duets. The results were more captivating than anyone could have imagined and culminated in the creation of the Balloon Drum Album. A visit to balloondrums.com also includes a tutorial on how to create your own set of drums, a great family activity.

Inspired to try your hand at a little balloon twisting? A good place to start is with The Inflatable Crown: Balloon Hat Kit. The kit comes with a 152-page book, a piston-action pump and 30 Qualatex balloons and teaches you how to make balloon hats with simple, full-color, step-by-step instructions, from simple but cool looking hats, to more complex ones.

“The main purpose of any balloon hat is to uplift a person’s spirits.
Here are some common situations where balloon twisting can make a big (and fast) impact.”

1) Showing Gratitude
2) Celebrating Birthdays
3) Making Friends on the Road
4) Cheering up a Sick Friend
5) Procrastinating
6) Break into the Fashion Model Business
7) Earning Money
8) Rockin’ the Party
9) Becoming a Few Feet Taller
10) Spicing Up the Family Portrait

Join Addi’s mailing list to receive the Balloon Hat photo of the week. Or subscribe to Addi’s Inflatable Minute - weekly YouTube videos featuring his balloon hat adventures.

Five years in the making and occupying an 8,000-square-foot gallery space, Noah’s Ark at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angles is set to open on June 26, 2007, an exhibition that will remain on view permanently. Inspired by the ancient flood story of Noah’s Ark, which has parallels in hundreds of cultures around the world, this indoor and outdoor attraction offers a multi-sensory, interactive experience alongside handcrafted, one-of-a-kind animals. These range from life-sized elephants and giraffes to snow leopards, flamingos and iguanas—186 species in all. Look for the recycled materials used to create the animals in the photos below.

To learn more about this exhibit and the Skirball or to order tickets click here.

All across the country, Baby Loves Disco is slowly but surely transforming the hippest night clubs into child proof discos as toddlers, pre-schoolers and parents looking for a break from the routine playground circuit let loose for some post nap time, pre-dinner fun. Make no mistake, this is NOT the Mickey Mouse club, and Barney is banned. Baby Loves Disco is an afternoon dance party featuring real music spun and mixed by real djs blending classic disco tunes From the 70s, & 80s guaranteed to get those little booties moving and grooving.

We’re talking bubble machines, baskets of scarves and egg-shakers, a chill-out room (with tents, books and puzzles), diaper changing stations, a full spread of healthy snacks and dancing, LOTS of dancing.

Started in 2005 by professional dancer (and professional mom) Heather Murphy, the idea was to create an alternative to the pre-packaged world of entertainment for young kids. “We’re parents, we’re always looking for something new and different to do with the kids,” says Murphy whose lifestyle (like most of the baby disco parents) was changed when she gave birth to her 4 year old son Max. Well the idea spread like disco fever and there are now parties in 18 US cities from coast to coast with more on the way. Today, Baby Loves Disco remains a mom and pop company, employing other local moms and pops across the country and trying to keep the dream of being able to work from home and not need to get a “real job” alive. Visit the Baby Loves Disco site to find the schedule of parties in your city or learn about how you can bring BLD to your neck of the woods.

Now you know that I generally adhere strictly to clubhouse matters in my posts, but I hope you’ll excuse me for this rare tangent. To celebrate the launch of Baby Loves Disco in their new LA location, the amazing Derby, my site, Mahar Drygoods, is setting up a mini disco party shop! And to sweeten the smack of shameless self-promotion I’m hosting a ticket giveaway:

If you live in the Los Angeles are you can obtain complete details on the June 9th party and purchase tickets, by clicking here.