● PARRISH ANDRÉ● ABOUT● MORE




● PLYWOOD CALDER TOY SET

Considering toys that last


Toys are often our first step into a life of creativity, but so many are outgrown and discarded too quickly. This toy set develops children’s understandings of weight, mass, balance and composition, while enduring in the home beyond playtime.  



































● WHY MOBILES?

Calder’s mobiles represent a rich confluence of aesthetic opportunities and basic principles of physics, all with simple materials and connections. I think a mobile set for children enables lessons about composition, center of gravity, torque, and natural forces.

There are a lot of ways to make a mobile toy set, and I tried one. Using magnets as my connectors is not a child-safe solution, but it allowed me to accomplish a high fidelity concept in five weeks. 




















● SETTING GOALS


From the inception of this project, I had three priorities: ease of play—children should be able to begin experimenting immediately; ease of storage—being flat-pack was the ideal; and finally, aesthetic and material durability—the toy set should exist comfortably within the home when unused or outgrown.






























● FABRICATION


I made my “fins” out of plywood and ping-pong balls finished in enamel. My “stems” are music wire and neodymium magnets. Connectors are the same magnets, music wire, and flexible wire coated in plastidip to create a twist-and-snap interaction. 




























● FINAL DESIGN


The set I made is one example of how to create a mobile toy set. I would like to explore another way of making one without magnets. Mechanical systems like clips, snaps, ties, or putties will be my next explorations. Other materials and styling should also be considered.




If you have any ideas let me know. I like this project and will be making my next iterations soon.