Made to Play! by Joel Henriques

Made to Play! by Joel Henriques

Delight young children and encourage play through unique handmade toys. From sewn and stuffed musical instruments to interlocking paper building blocks and wooden animal figurines, the projects in this book are meant to encourage open-ended play. Organized by kid-loving subjects, the toys here follow the themes of Zoo; House; Blocks, Cars & Trucks; Dress-Up; Music; and Art. Overall, the projects here are meant to stimulate imagination, build confidence through success and enjoyment, and enhance the bond between family and friends through the creation of unique, artistic handmade toys and crafts.

The thirty-five projects in this book include a variety of crafts, from drawing to sewing and light woodworking. The toys presented here are made out of wonderfully tactile materials--repurposed fabrics, wood, and paper--and invite opportunities for creative and imaginative play. Every project is easy to complete, made with accessible materials, and requires little time to make. The projects are simple enough that endless variation can come from the making of each, leaving enough room for you to make the item to suit your own personal interests.

With a design aesthetic that is clean, simple, and modern, each project is presented with full-color photos and hand-drawn instructional illustrations and templates. Projects include:

- Modern Doll House and Doll House Furniture
- Portable Zoo Animals
- Abstract Vertical Puzzle
- Wooden Nature Scene
- Bottle-Cap Tambourine
- Exploration Cape
- Modern Alphabet Game
- Shadow Puppet Theater
- And more

Color, shape, and craftsmanship excite Joel Henriques. As a child, he was drawn to painting by his grandmother, who was also a painter. She spent hours exhibiting Joel Matisse, Picasso, Miró, and other artists' works. She taught him about color and design through these and her own paintings, and she eventually guided him on his first paintings. He decided to seek a B.A. as a result of his childhood experiences.

in the fields of fine art and philosophy Being a parent provided Joel with a new perspective on the world's art. He used to make a lot of his own toys when he was a kid. He began producing toys for his infant twins as a father.

He began to understand how a lovely, simple, well-crafted object allowed his children to explore and develop their own imaginations rather than having the object dictate how they should play with it. Joel began documenting his children's interactions with art on his blog, Created By Joel, after being moved by their reactions. It's a powerful thing to make art for children, and for the child in everyone. Joel resides in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and three-year-old twins.

www.madebyjoel.com has more of his crafts, and www.joelhenriques.com has more of his art.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781590309124
ISBN 10	159030912X
Title	Made to Play!
Author	Joel Henriques
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Shambhala Publications Inc
Year published	2011-10-11
Number of pages	208
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.