Habitat Kid

DISCOVER: Brooklyn Botanic Gardens [Part 2]

At the eastern end of the Botanic Gardens is the Children's Garden where little gardeners have been perfecting their green thumb since 1914 (!). Adjacent to the working garden is a separate, fenced-in play area with endless things for a child to explore and discover. Enchanting pathways, tiny bridges over small streams, a bamboo forest, a box of moss for exploring texture, a giant steel spider, boxes of soil for digging, trellis archways, small tables with scales for weighing pinecones, rocks and other natural treasures...I could go on and on about this place! The daffodils were just starting to bloom and it was almost magical to watch spring unfold all around us. It was hard to pull the children away when it was time to go and if I didn't have to get home to walk our neighbor's dog, we gladly would have stayed all afternoon!

IMAGINE: Mixed Elements

I don't know that nature has created anything quite as magical as the phenomenon of rain on a sunny day. I hope these photos inspire you to enjoy whatever nature throws your way this weekend.

via wallpapers wide

DISCOVER: Playtime New York [Part 2]

I always love the art installations at Playtime - so much fun! This playful space was created by Ritsuko Hirai with hand drawn patterns and cut out birds.

Radish Moon: I totally fell for Radish Moon, a collection of children's illustrations done by the talented NY artist Sarah Nicholas Williams. Born in Vermont, Sarah grew up with plenty of space for her imagination to run wild, and her magical imaginary friends live on through her artwork. Her india ink and watercolor paintings come in the form of high quality prints framed in handmade driftwood or reclaimed wood frames, as well as puzzles (which I am dying to have!) and porcelain dishes. Everything about Sarah and her work is just lovely!

Chispum: This is a really unique brand of vinyl wall decals featuring art from a large group of illustrators, graphic designers and artists. They have a huge collection of over 500 designs, each manufactured in Barcelona. If you are looking for unusual, not your average run-of-the-mill wall decals, Chispum is the place to go!

Atsuyo et Akiko: It's been fun to watch this company grow and develop into a strong presence in the world of children's design over the past few years. This year they had some additional pieces to add to their Winnie the Pooh collection - love the pillow with the map of the Hundred Acre Wood!

And now, (because what fun is life without a little fashion), here are some of my favorite clothing for kidlets! Makes me excited for autumn to come back around...

Poppy Ltd.

Poppy Ltd.

Le Marchand d'Etoiles | Whip Cream

Lila Spain

Jumina

Bakker Made With Love | Neve / Hawk

DISCOVER: Playtime New York [Part 1]

Playtime NY pictures as promised! This year featured many of the same designers I got to know last year, but with a few new ones as well. I was a bit more rushed than usual since I dropped London off at preschool and then made a mad dash over to the show and back before class ended. :) I hope you enjoy my findings!

Oeuf: This Brooklyn-based company has developed a serious following and their collection gets cuter all the time. You may remember the crocheted butterflies I featured a while ago...they also had some crocheted seashells on display this year that were just adorable. 

Lucky Fish: I can't get enough of this brand with their colorful screen printed wares, both for wearing and for decorating. They had some really cute hanging banners, one with a glow-in-the-dark option! 

Seven Smooches: This new-to-me brand had awesome clothes made from recycled sweaters and a whole slew of these hand puppets! They all looked so sweet, just begging for a story.

Loop: I immediately started getting all touchy feely with these squishy thick blankets from newcomer, Loop. Founded by two NYC knit designers, the company is based on the philosophy that "kindness comes back around, love comes back around and good style comes back around." I sure hope these guys come back around next year! Definitely one to watch.

Hope you like what I liked! Until tomorrow's Part 2, I'll leave you with this fantastic sculpture that looks good enough to eat! Wonderfully crazy, no??

ENJOY: David Trubridge's Coral Pendant

I'm in the process of wading through a huge mess of photos I took yesterday at Playtime New York, but hopefully I will have some goodies to share with you tomorrow! In the meantime, feast your eyes on this awesome light I splurged on last night over at A+R. I've been eyeing it for over a year now with plans to install it in London's room, and when I saw they had a 15% off deal until March 15th, I crumbled and stole the hubby's credit card. I first saw it in the second image, but I have no idea about the source! That will teach me to stop taking screen shots...

DISCOVER: Brooklyn Botanic Gardens [Part 1]

This past Friday we took a little train ride into Brooklyn to meet up with friends and explore the Botanic Gardens there. Signs of spring are just barely starting to show, but the gardens were beautiful nonetheless. I was very excited to discover that Patrick's Dougherty's stick installation was still there and the kids had a blast running in and out of the maze of fairytale-like doors and arches. Dougherty has completed over two hundred such installations, each one unique and wonderfully shaped. If you ever have a chance to see one of them in person, I would strongly recommend going and be sure to take a child along - they will be completely enchanted!

IMAGINE: Up to the Sky

Oh how I wish modern society would allow seesaws like this to populate our playgrounds! But no, we're too concerned about safety and thus continue to build unchallenging, boring designs that children tire of quickly. Sigh. These Amish girls look like they are having the time of their life riding this mega seesaw - incredible! I hope it inspires you to do something a little risky this weekend...

Image courtesy of Growing Up

PLAY: Tetra Shed

There are several modern outdoor playhouses on the market right now, but this Tetra Shed is by far the most interesting design I have come across. It is composed of six modules and can serve a number of functions including garden shed, home office, pop-up retail, or my favorite, a backyard playhouse. The exterior can be custom painted or finished with copper, zinc, corten steel, or marine plywood, while the interior can be finished with LED lights and birch-faced plywood or plasterboard. 

via Jetson Green

OBSERVE: Della's Room

Judging by the bright colors, playful accessories and circus performer antics, I think it's safe to say that Della is one vivacious little girl! And even though there's lots of pink in this room (you know, me the Anti-Pink), I'm going to let it go because this girl can rock a skateboard. And she and I are totally on the same page with the triangle thing. (p.s. Would you check out that fantastic black play kitchen at the bottom??)

via Family Living

REST: A Bed for Bedtime Stories

This little bed is such a genius idea and makes every bedtime story extra special. Even the little cut out square would be perfect for a puppet show to heighten the dramatic effect. Extra perk: a fort when bedtime story is not in session. Designed by Ridder & Clown.

found via handmade charlotte // photography by Merel van Beukering