march break
Goggled and donning white lab coats, kids get critical of toys that have yet to hit shelves.
At the week long Toy Design Camp at Design Exchange, kids get a chance to give toy manufacturers their or criticism, feedback, or stamp of approval on toys before they make their debut. The week-long day camp educates campers in play by including guest speakers from the design community, taking a field trip to a design studio and doing activities like claymation movie-making. Yesterday though, campers got to say what they thought was best when it comes to fun. We stopped by to hear their opinions on toys coming out this fall.
APPFINITY, APPDRIVE AND APPFISHING
Players can participate in extreme activities anywhere they go. Just hook up your iPod or iPhone to the steering wheel or fishing rod, and you’re ready for action. Overheard at this station: “I’ve played something like this before. It’s cool!” Read more...
march break
Get out and explore your own city this March Break
Attention kids and parents! We have an assignment for you this March Break. Ever wonder what is truly the best coffeeshop in your particular city? This is your chance to find out! We want you and your kids to try out the beverage selections at five different coffeeshops in order to find your new favourite.
You can do this by:
- Referring to your city’s alt-weeklies and blogs where they typically create best-of lists
- Asking your social networks for recommendations
- Taking transit to a new neighbourhood and wander around until you find the first interesting-looking coffeeshop
Next, you and your kid have to commit to one item you’re going to order at each coffeeshop. It could be a plain cup of drip coffee, chai latte, hot chocolate, smoothie, or maybe even a cookie. (We’d be checking out the latte situation while the kid would investigate the hot chocolate) Read more...
march break
Add a little Banksy to your March Break
Illustrator and author Aaron Zenz has some seriously artistic kids. When Zenz and his family watched the Banksy documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, 10-year-old Gracie announced she was going to be a street artist too. (Zenz then had to explain why we can’t just go around vandalizing everything.)
But the Zenz kids were inspired! So they came up with something that, while not doing damage to anyone’s property, would be, “something artsy. Something stealthy. Something public.” And so they gathered a whole bunch of rocks and washed them. Then three Z-kids and the Z-dad each picked a colour and painted the rocks with various expressions of various levels of zaniness.
And then they set out to take their art public.
Read more...
march break
A place to practice your 360s, 5-0s and Ollies
Bunch reader David passed along this gem of a skatepark he found in Mississauga. When his son Quincy expressed an interest in skateboarding, David taught him whatever he could remember from his own skateboarding youth and got himself a longboard so they could practice together.
Looking for a little more instruction, David found CBMK Skatepark in Mississauga. They like it because it’s not about turning kids into pro skateboarders, but rather creating an awesome learning environment. (Although some kids who grew up at the park have turned pro or done very well as amateurs.) David says that he found it to be considerably less commercial than other parks in Greater Toronto. “Its small and very supportive of new skaters and the owner Brett is amazing,” He told us.
Obviously we had to talk to Brett Keon: Read more...
march break
Look! We’re experts!
Eye Weekly, Toronto’s alternative weekly magazine, interviewed Bunch’s Rebecca Brown and consulted us when coming up with its foolproof March Break Guide. We think you might recognize some of the ideas found therein. Eye Weekly is also home to Superdad Chris Shulgan’s excellent columns.
Photo by Be Nice to Mommy via Flickr
