Going Traditional in a Digital World

What's behind the resurgence of wooden toys in the screen age? First, they are sturdy enough to be passed on for generations. Second, they never go out of style. Most wooden playthings also enhance the creativity and imagination of kids and help them with numeracy, literacy, motor skills and problem solving. They are also biodegradable and some are made from sustainable timber. Last but not the least, there are lots of quality wooden toys on the market that won't leave a hole in your wallet—like this unique piece of artwork from Greek design studio Matolaki.

This beautifully-crafted push-pull toy is guaranteed plastic free, doesn't need batteries and run on pure imagination. In the box you'll find a nice hand-printed cotton pouch, tied to a plan-card of a few animal toy models. Recommended for children ages 3 and up. You can get them for about $63 on Etsy.

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The Adorable Sculptures of Yen Yen Lo

These images are from a series of wall sculptures created by Yen Yen Lo . Here you can see her intricately textured ceramic pieces, looking downright adorable. Yen Yen Lo's eye for the unique and whimsical is delightful. Apparently they are not intended for kids under 16. Fifteen-year-olds cannot be trusted with fragile stuff. Get them a Funko Pop instead.

Weirdly Charming

If you’re a fan of art that makes you do a double-take, you need to check out Richard Brener . Based in the UK, Richard is an internationally collected artist who works primarily with ink, fineliners, and gouache. When you first see his pieces, they actually look pretty playful. Then you realize the entire canvas is packed with thousands of tiny, ghost-like shapes he calls "champs." They’re all squeezed together like commuters on a rush-hour train, and the level of detail is honestly mind-blowing. Richard spends hundreds of hours drawing these little guys over and over. It’s obsessive, very intentional, and a little bit wild. The cool part is that the longer you stare, the more the vibe shifts. Check out more photos below:

Enigmatic Shapes and Psychedelic Patterns

To say that I love Sanagi 's work is an understatement. Looking at her art feels sort of therapeutic, and I find her drawings refreshingly intricate. They're trippy, psychedelic, and resemble something that you might see under a microscope. Not much is Googleable about Sanagi, but that's fine. There aren't many artists these days that still pull off the whole mysterious vibe, so I commend her for that. By the way... they're all hand-drawn with pen and ink.

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