Online - July 03, 2008

Play It Again

Totem Transformable Toy

To you, it’s an empty paper towel roll. To your munchkin, it’s a wind instrument slash lightsaber slash secret-agent spyglass.

Ah, imagination. Not always genetic.

Keep creativity flowing with Totem, the new transformable toy/building game from Dutch design company Kidsonroof. The portable box contains more than 120 recycled, laminated, easy-to-stack cardboard cards, each printed with different symbols (skull and crossbones, dragons) and landscapes (the ocean, outer space).

Your tot’s job is to construct an assortment of 3-D playthings by piecing cards together. A manual gives how-to directions for cathedrals, sailboats, planes, and spaceships. The real joy, of course, is a custom creation.

The new Totem Girl edition has different patterns (like flowers and butterflies) and instructions for everything from lizards to houses.

The concept is simple; the options are endless.

You get the picture.

Available online at hipfromholland.com.