Baby Gadgets | Inhabitots

Recycled Robot Sculptures by Gordon Bennett

by Desmond Williams, 04/09/10

Gordon Bennett’s trash-to-treasure robots were recently on display at the Paul Smith storefront on 5th Ave in lower Manhattan. Meant to intrigue passers-by rather than sell tailored shirts, the temporary installation was a fantastic addition to the store’s ‘outsider art’ series. Gordon Bennett hails from Brooklyn, and his sculptural robots are a mixture of found objects and newly acquired fixtures – just don’t let the robots get wind of that. Each stands regally (some up to 3 feet tall) awaiting that moment when an inquisitive imagination saves them from a life of stasis by animating them.

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NEW! Bounce ‘n Blend Harnesses Baby & Solar Power to Puree Homemade Baby Food!

by Beth Shea, 04/01/10

We’ve got the exclusive scoop about the newest green baby gear to hit the market! The ingenious and innovative Bounce ‘n Blend from Greenglo Plus Designs harnesses your baby’s bouncy glee (in conjunction with the suns rays) and channels it to power a baby food processor! So, eco parents, there are no more excuses for not making baby’s food from scratch, getting baby enough exercise, or making sure your little one gets his daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun! Read more about this exciting invention after the jump!

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Reusable Silicone Travel Place Mats by Zoli Baby

by Jasmin Malik Chua, 03/13/10

Families on the move will appreciate Zoli’s new reusable place mats, which are an environmentally preferable yet travel-friendly alternative to disposable ones. Made from 100% phthalate- and VOC-free silicone, the Matties are lightweight, water- and odor-resistant, and a cinch to clean (the third puts the “bon” in “bon voyage”). They come in sets of two in either green or orange.

+ Matties $24 for two

+ Zoli

‘Mons Lavabo’ Eco-Friendly Sink Helps Kids Save Water While Washing Hands

by Jasmin Malik Chua, 11/19/09

It’s tough being a little person in a grown-up world. To make life less of an obstacle course for the vertically challenged, Teng Chuan Tey and Romualdo Faura Bernabe from Spain have designed a wash basin that not only takes a child’s diminutive stature into account, but it also makes observing basic hygiene less of a chore. Their Mons Lavabo, a short-listed entry in Designboom’s Green Life contest, is shaped like a friendly monster that easily accommodates younger children with its sized-down proportions. Read on to see how Mons Lavabo helps kids conserve water while washing their hands!

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‘Tio’ Light Switch System Teaches Kids to Conserve Household Energy

Kids will be the world’s key decision-makers in the next 30 years, which is why it is crucial that we empower them now with the education and the tools to help reduce energy consumption. Designer Tim Holley’s Tio ghost is a wall-mounted light switch system which enables children to demonstrate their knowledge of energy conservation to their families, while encouraging their role as …

ANDREA Air Filter Uses House Plants to Purify Indoor Air

The design concept for the ANDREA air filter, previously dubbed the Bel-Air, was featured on Inhabitat two years ago in its prototype phase. We’re revisiting this savvy innovation since it recently came to fruition and became available for purchase this week. Invented by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur with Harvard professor David Edward, ANDREA transforms household plants into air cleaners which effectively rid indoor air of toxins and pollutants to purify baby’s nursery or any room in the house.

Kaspa Eco-Friendly Ghost Lamp Reveals What Goes Bump in the Night

Just call it Kaspa, the Eco-Friendly Ghost. Designed by Ilsa Parry, the winner of Phillipe Starck’s Design for Life reality TV show, the glow-in-the-dark Kaspa Ghost Lamp can be perched on a table or hung from the ceiling to function as a nightlight, without the use of electricity, for 20 minutes while your child drifts off to sleep.

‘Albie’ Puppy Light by JamesPlumb Illuminates this Weekend’s Tent London

‘Albie’ Puppy Light by design duo JamesPlumb will add a fetching glow to design exhibition Tent London this weekend. James Russell and Hannah Plumb created twenty-five limited edition ‘Albie’ Puppy Lights from salvaged and recycled materials: an old lamp shade, reclaimed wood and wheels from cast off toys. Shedding light on the fact that old, …

Bamboo Soil Clock is Powered by DIRT!

Sending the kids back to school can be a happy time for parents who are eager to get their youngsters out of the house after a looooong summer! But kids may want to stay home well past the 8am school bell! If you’re looking for an inspiring way to help your child get to school on time in the mornings, get him or her this awesome Bamboo Soil Clock powered by — dirt!

OXO Candela Guardian: The Perfect Portable LED Nightlight

If you’re tired of stumbling around in the dark during late night feedings and diaper changes, then the OXO Candela Guardian nightlight is the perfect solution for you. This LED lighted rechargeable lamp is super portable with a nice handle that stays cool …

Panasonic Sets World Record with Adorable Evoia Robot!

Move over Energizer Bunny! There’s a new, super-enduring battery mascot in town… and his name is Evoia. Panasonic recently drove the extremely adorable Evoia for 24 hours straight to set a new world record with an incredible distance of 23.726 km!

iPhone App ‘The Hidden Park’ Guides Kids on an Outdoor Adventure

Convincing kids to spend an afternoon away from the PlayStation is a tough sell when there are virtual ramparts to scale and digital beasts to slay. (Nature? How quaintly lo-fi!) Use your children’s video-game obsession to lure them on an outdoors excursion with The Hidden Park, an iPhone-guided scavenger hunt that uncovers trolls, fairies, tree genies, and other fantastic creatures skulking around actual landmarks at your local park.

Loopwing Wind Powered Toy Car

Want your tots to grow up with an appreciate for renewable energy technology? Check out the Loopwing Wind Powered Toy Car. We think this is the perfect thing to inspire kids to learn some basic engineering principals, all while having eco fun! The Loopwing comes as an ‘assembly required’ kit that will titillate young, eco-minded tinkerers with a love for putting together snap or glue models.

POWERleap Harnesses Energy from Little Feet

There’s an interesting installation at a playground near my home. It is a small play area consisting of nine square brass tiles with chimes embedded beneath them. Kids love this section of the park, and as they hop around on the squares, the chimes create a magical noise. Watching those kids dance I wondered, What if those squares generated energy? Harnessing the power of little feet is an idea that has already been tapped into. Elizabeth Redmond’s POWERleap concept tiles do exactly that.

FASTRONAUTS: Action Figures Powered By Play

One of fifty inspired entries in this year’s Greener Gadgets Design Competition, Fastronauts was one of our favorite entries. Fastronauts are a dynamic trio of power-packing superheroes that aim to make renewable energy accessible to eager young minds. Each eco-friendly action figure is powered by play: the more you charge your little fastronaut (through motion), the more it will talk, light up, and zoom around in its little vehicle. Each fastronaut uses a dynamo to generate energy for lights, sounds, a bicycle speedometer and more. These versatile action figures are a great way to introduce kids to energy conservation while encouraging them get outside and play.

BUGPLUG: A Kid-Friendly Power Monitor

Perfect for a kid’s room or nursery, the BugPlug is a small energy-saving creature that seeks out power-draining devices and shuts them off at the source. Simply attach it to an appliance (or a whole set of electric devices through power strip), and an infrared sensor will search for human presence by looking for body heat and motion. If none is detected, the Bugplug will turn off the unused devices. Conceived by Polish designer Kamil Jerzykowski, the kid-friendly energy saver is one of fifty finalists in the 2nd annual Greener Gadgets Design Competition.

POWER HOG: Piggy Power Monitor Teaches Conservation

Looking for a fun way to teach your kids about the merits of conserving electricity? Check out the cute Power Hog, a pint-size power monitor that introduces kids to energy efficiency by piggybacking upon the familiar format of the piggy bank. Simply plug the hog’s tail into an outlet and feed it a coin to meter out 30 minutes of energy for TV, video games, or other activities. A novel way to associate energy conservation with savings, the Power Hog is just one of fifty great finalists in this year’s Greener Gadgets Design Competition.