Categories / Kids

XYZ Wooden Blocks by Christian Northeast

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These XYZ wooden blocks by Christian Northeast offer a fun alternative to traditional kids alphabet blocks.

They're made like the classic wooden blocks that have been played with by generations of children all over the world. The difference here is their iconography. Executed in a retro style, Christian's illustrations offer a slice of pure Americana: from flamingos and eight balls to vinyl and x ray specs. There's no doubt that the set is bound to improve anyone's vocabulary too – how about U for Uvula? 

For your kids, or just to look pretty, the blocks cost £29.

Buy them from Indish

Categories / Food and Drink, Kids, Toys and Games

Lego Minifigure ice cube maker

Lego

Back in the dark days of 2006, we featured a Lego ice cube maker, which knocked out frozen blocks the shape of lego bricks. Well, now the company has gone one better with the Lego Minifigure ice cube maker.

I think you've guessed how this works and what it does – just add water to the blue tray and in a matter of an hour or so, you'll have your own mini army of Minifigures, ready to pop into a glass, as well as impress your mates.

It's available via the Lego store right now, £3.99 gets you one.

Find out more at the Lego store website

Categories / Kids

Ingela P Arrhenius nesting circus dolls

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We've previously shown you the retro-style artwork of Ingela P Arrhenius and here, with this set of nesting circus dolls, her colourful designs are translated into 3D.

The set is a new take on Russian nesting dolls with five figures that each fit inside each other. The difference here is that they're all based on circus characters – including the lion tamer, the lion and the clown – from one of her prints. Made from wood, the resulting toy has a very traditional feel and is almost too nice to hand over to the kids. 

Each set costs £18.95.

Buy the set from Hus and Hem

Categories / Food and Drink

Whopping Retro Sweet Hamper by A Quarter Of

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If you know someone with a sweet tooth, they'll have their sugar cravings well and try dealt with by this Whopping Retro Sweet Hamper by A Quarter Of.

It is indeed a whopper – a gigantic wicker hamper packed full of all kinds of traditional sweets. Around 55 different types of sweets, plus some other nostalgic items like a whoppee cushion, water bombs and a genuine old comic to really get you back to childhood.

It weighs in at a scary 13.6kg, selling for £99. See the website for the full breakdown of what you get. If that's a little rich (in money or sugar content), other hampers start at £38, while retro sweets generally start at pennies on the site.

Find out more at the A Quarter Of website

Categories / Christmas, Toys and Games

V&A Seasonal Toys Christmas cards

Seasonal toys card

These Seasonal Toys Christmas cards are inspired by objects in the V&A museum's massive collection. By seasonal, they mean toys very much in the Christmas spirit, such as the clockwork reindeer pictured which dates from the 1970s. 

Each pack contains three designs so, as well as the reindeer, you also get an image of a 1970s toy train and a late '40s clockwork turkey. Perfect for a bit of seasonal nostalgia. 

A pack of twelve cards costs £4.50. 

Buy them online

Categories / Design and Interiors, Toys and Games

Curiosity Shop design by Emily Sutton for St Jude’s

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This Curiosity Shop design by Emily Sutton is the latest in the St Judes great range of fabrics. 

Emily Sutton is a recent graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art and this design takes inspiration from some of the toys and curios in the city's museum of childhood, including spinning tops and miniature trains and much more. It bodes well for her future project – illustrating a children's book for the V&A Museum.

The design is available in the dark blue/mustard colour combination pictured, or in maroon/blue and costs £36 for a ready-made cushion cover or £44 for a metre of the fabric. 

Buy it online