A PLAYFUL ANTIDOTE TO SCREEN TIME
Low-tech gear designed to encourage intrepid young explorers to get outside and use their imaginations
The world is full of high-tech children’s toys. But there’s a movement afoot to bring back some simpler playthings — ones that invite kids to explore the outdoors, and tap into their ingenuity, creativity and sense of play in ways that don’t involve an app or a download.
Design company Kikkerland has partnered with Dutch designers Chris Koens and Ramon Middelkoop on a line of nature-inspired toys they call Huckleberry.
There’s a shatterproof magnifier, a flower press frame, braided leather with a magnetic closure for making a flower necklace, a fishing kit, and the duo’s favourite item, a little propeller-equipped boat motor that runs on a AAA battery. Why is it their favourite?
“It’s totally up to the kids to decide what kind of boat to make and what materials to use,” says Koens. “You can carve a piece of wood or repurpose a plastic bottle that otherwise would’ve gone to a landfill. That’s very exciting.”
Koens says the simplicity of each piece was important, keeping the designs fairly “open” in concept.
“Kids can decide for themselves what they want to do or make. Their imagination and creativity is a necessary element,” he says. “Huckleberry’s own namesake is the story of a boy who loved having adventures in nature.”
A portion of Huckleberry sales goes to the Children and Nature Network, a Minneapolis-based non-profit that invests in community-based efforts to encourage kids to be outdoors and get reacquainted with nature.
The organization has worked on providing more green space in schoolyards, and training youth leaders as the next generation of environmental stewards and outdoor enthusiasts.
Fat Brain Toys has Adventure Station’s Be Prepared Exploration Station, which teaches kids about knot tying, animal tracking and navigation.
Rope, string, a compass and a comprehensive guide are included, as well as plaster mix for moulding tracks.
Also at the retailer: rugged flashlights, binoculars, periscopes, and solar lanterns for both day and night exploration.
Finally, to keep the lines of communication open among your outdoor explorers, consider Hearthsong’s set of traditional walkie talkies with a 250-foot (76-metre) range; you can converse on them, or practise your Morse code skills.
Or for something with a nod to higher tech, there’s a digital wrist set that comes with earbuds and has a range of over 320 feet (98 metres).