Christina’s World

Press, 6 May 1980, Page 30

Christina’s World

Christina’s World might look like a jumble to less imaginative adults, but to children it looks like a dream come true. Bright coloured squashy cubes appliqued with motifs of animals, worms, letters of the alphabet and numbers 1 are piled high against green spotty frogs, giant mushrooms, cushions shaped like fruit and vegetables. Wall-hangings and mobiles occupy the available wall and ceiling space. Wooden toys, ceramic boots, children’s candles and stuffed toys fill the remaining nooks and crannies. The atmosphere is busy, exciting and guaranteed to capture the attention and the imagination. Christina’s, World reflects. the iSas and the philosophy of its proprietor, Christina Lamplow, an ex-teacher, West Coast farmer’s wife and, most recently, designer and manufacturer of children’s toys. The idea for the shop came from Christina’s own

frustration at the lack of imaginative, . original ' equipment for children to play with, in and on. Finding several other women of like mind, the pool of ideas grew into a concrete manufacturing and marketing system. The majority of stock in the shop is abstract, having no specific definition 5 or purpose. Children are encouraged to' . invent games and experiment with uses for the things, stimulating their imagination and helping the educational process. At the samr time, the toys are functional — there are cushions, quilts, seats and tables, painting overalls, laundry bags and what the designers ’ refer to as “romper room furniture” — free-form bean bags, child-sized animals and the like. ' The shop is intended, as an outlet for creative skills and Christina welcomes contributions from anyone who has ideas and the time,, to make them come to life.'