Fun Things

• Virtual Collaborative WhiteBoard: a private virtual playground from GroupBoard – draw together, chat, add to a message board.
• Soda Constructor: a virtual animated tinker toy. Be sure to visit the Sodazoo to get a taste of the remarkable variety of fascinating, interactive constructions.
• Sandlot science: illusions for fun and learning
• The OnLine Games Collection from ishouldbeworking.com
• Falling Sand Game: drop virtual sand into colorful piles.
• Clickmazes: interactive mazes and puzzles
• Taprats: java applet and application for playing with Islamic star patterns
• Tesselating Animations from Japan Tesselation Animation Design Association
• A veritable compendium of Shockwave games
• Mini-Mizer – create a virtual lego person
• Map Machine from National Geographic – Global fun
• Astronomy pix – Cosmic fun. See also National Geographics Virtual Solar System.
• My Physics Lab: play and learn with interactive simulations
• Scott Kim: Scott calls himself a “Puzzle Master.” In my estimate, he’s underselling himself. Check out his puzzles on  NewMedia Brain Candy and Discover Brain Boggler.
• Standing Ovation: virtual approval from PlayFair
• HumanClock: making fun with time
• The Powers of Ten – from macro- to microcosmos
• Phone Spell: answer the question of the ages – what does your phone number spell?
• KidPad: a graphic, collaborative storytelling tool for kids
• More online drawing in Loving Fun on the Virtual Playground

• Science Toy Maker – toys you can make yourself
• Toys from Trash – a huge compendium of toys made from found objects
• Sensory toys – one of several collections of healing fun stuff from Pocket full of Therapy
• Silly Putty U: the official virtual home of Silly Putty. See also Silicon Bouncing Putty: the unofficial, but equally creative, informative and silly; and for more tricks and more putty “Crazy Aaron’s Putty World“
• Office Playground: toys for the office
• The Toy Manufacturers’ of America Guide to Toys and Play: “ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS A CHILD CAN DO IS PLAY” See also, TMA’s “Fun Play, Safe Play“
• Dr. Toy’s Rx for Play is a resource for wise reviews of kidworthy toys

Tools

• Sport Aid -  wheel chairs for athletes
• Hotshot Products – beach wheel chairs

• Instant Fun: little fun things for your emergency family fun kit from Playing Smart
• Aunt Nettie: fun stuff for slow times. See especially “Naughty Restaurant Tricks” and “Car Games“
• Situation Puzzles from Jed Hartman: classic logic puzzles for very long evenings.
• Cheapass games: fun, wacky, and, uh, cheap.
• Lego Games: Games with, mmm, Legos
• Navaho String Games: Cats’ Cradle at least
• Pentix: Pen spinning
• The Dice Stacking Book – from Todd Strong, formerly of New Games. Dice stacking. Who knew? Click on his website and watch the magic.