Kids today often associate batteries with fun, thanks to the legions of battery-powered toys out there. The unfortunate result is not just a waste of power and an environmental hazard but also a danger to health, as thousands of kids each year end up swallowing the tiny devices. Michigan-based Zen Design Group aims to change all that with a new line of toys that's powered by kids' own energy instead.
Launched last fall, SEE Toys (short for "safety, ecology, economy") are electronic toys that never need batteries. Instead, they feature a hand crank that provides 15 minutes of fun in exchange for 60 seconds of cranking. Each toy makes its own, themed sounds to encourage kids to keep powering up—the Dynacar, for instance, makes engine sounds when its crank turns, while the Dynatiger makes a purring sound—and super-bright, colour-changing LEDs light up the action. Also included in the line are the Dynadolphin, the Dynashark and the Dynafly, a buzzing, giggling electronic bug that won Creative Child Magazine's Seal of Excellence Award last August. Pricing on the toys ranges from USD 14.99 to USD 19.99.
While it would be a stretch to call these plastic toys eco-friendly, there's no doubt the eco trend is building momentum (see trendwatching.com's May briefing for more on that), and bringing that green focus to kids' toys as well makes good sense. Besides the obvious environmental benefits, green products also tend to bring greenbacks for their makers—or the currency of their choice! ;-)
Website: www.zendesigngroup.com/seetoys
Contact: info@seetoys.com
Spotted by: Bill McMahon
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We are a large international manufacturers representative company selling to every major retailer in the USA. I just called this company to discuss their marketing and ran into a pitbull of a woman who was more rude and unprofessional than anyone I have ever run across in 30 years of business. They will Not make it
Dear Ron Buff,
I am very sorry to hear about your first experience with my company. How ever it happened, please accept my personal apology.
Hi Ron, Another small problem for this Zen Design Group company appears to be that they also make tons and tons of battery powered flashlights and junk toy products spewing heavy metal contamination from hundreds of thousands of batteries all over the world. I knew I had heard of their company before when I went to the Toy Show in NY and saw some of the stuff this Sun Yu guy makes for his other company, IQ Hong Kong. There’s even a press release written by Zen Design Group for the IQ Hong Kong company on their website:
http://www.iqhk.com/file/news/hl9pressrelease-20060121101549-502491.pdf
As you can see, Zen Design Group is clearly out to make money on the Green Movement Angle, and could care less about the environment.
These toys are such a great idea. And I am an idea man. You know; left-handed, right-brained, crazy-artist, piles and piles of little notes for all my never-ending ideas. I just started this online internship (ref: woodymaxim.com) hoping to tap my creativity. And they sent me here. Your site is a Godsend to me. A place for my creative mind to wander and explore. Plus it's so beatifully designed too. Thank you so much for this cool site.
Tony Edward | May 9, 2008 1:43 AM