Around the House

This is not a list of toys. This is a list of cool stuff for your home that would inspire a mechanically-minded person. It is a collection of stuff I've found on my travels (both virtual and real) that I thought I would pass along for you to enjoy.

Belt Fans. Belt driven ceiling fans are just plain cool. I wrote an article about how we discovered them at a brewery in Michigan back in July. Take a look...if you're redecorating then this could be a unique, super fun way to add mechanical wonders to your home.

Timberkits. I don't even remember how I found this wooden Caterpillar Machine...probably surfing YouTube with my preschooler. These are assemble-your-own toys so you will have to have a patient child but they are pretty cool mechanical fidgets for enjoying on a desk. All the machines having moving parts that go when someone moves a crank. Some have a cool marble run that goes on and on while you crank. There is even a motor attachment you can buy if you don't want to hand crank for minutes at a time.

Kinetic Sand. Wow. Look what I found at www.fatbraintoys.com! 98% sand, 2% I don't care because it is the most interesting material that I have seen in a long time. Watch the video, below, to see how this sand holds shape without being "wet sand" and pours without being dried out. Listed for 3 year olds and up I can't help but think, "I want this for ME!"


Mobile. This is another one for adult (ages 8+) assembly but it is a beloved mobile in our home. It is colorful and designed to balance in a way that is more interesting than most mobiles that I've seen in stores.

Wall Stickers. Roommates is a highly distributed line of wall stickers for decorating your child's space. They have a handful of themes including vehicles (pictured below). I also found some gear decals (pictured below) at Trading Phrases. A cool thing about the Trading Phrases gears...you can choose the color of the gears!

Roommates - Vehicles

Trading Phrases - Choose a Color

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