Weekend Links : Design

One aspect of early childhood education that has become more and more important to me over the years is design.  The things, the spaces, the sounds: how do those interact in "ideal" early childhood settings?

Check out some design links for your weekend, after the jump!

First, a hat tip to the people who share wonderful things about the intersections of design and childhood:  Urban Preschool and The Architecture of Early Childhood.  Both have been great sources of inspiration!

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Wake Up With the World is a global intersection of space, time, and sleep.  For every silly iPhone app, there is a beautifully designed one that can, maybe, help us stay creative and engaged in our lives.  I do wish that the sounds were more appealing - but I can envision during the day rather than as something that wakes me up.

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Patatap makes me feel like the music director of the world's coolest aquarium, and it would be interesting for children to use.  Representing sounds visually seems like such an intriguing topic to explore with children, and could perhaps be a language that children use to explore animals, music, stories, and more.

Just want to listen to other's compositions?  Patatap Tunes is the place.

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Plus-Plus blocks are the biggest hit at preschool - and I knew they would be right when I saw them at the store last week.  There is the slightest hint of flexibility to the plastic, making them easy for children 2+ to use.  Every child in the class used them this week, making flat pictures, 3-D designs, and countless robots.  The design is simple and satisfying, and allows children to feel able and successful with their creations and the process of the work.  And open-ended to boot!

I hope to share some classroom plus-plus creations soon!

Happy weekend!