Guest Blogger
Benjamin Barlowe
Benjamin Barlowe was an early 20th century inventor from Fort Collins, Colorado. His workshop archives, writings, ideas, and inventions serve as the inspiration for BeginAgain.
BeginAgain weaves Ben's fantastic tales and astute observations of his grandchildren, Zadie and Fuller, into everyone one of their toys. His archive overflows with tinkered toys, playful mechanisms, and incredible stories filled with nostalgia, history, and lessons.
BeginAgain features eco-friendly toys, games, and puzzles made from primarily plants not plastics.
www.beginagaintoys.com
The Hero
Oct. 9, 1965- In a world void of heroes, kids will create their own. Fuller loves to tell stories with his characters. His cars zip around the room, his action figures go everywhere he goes. When Fuller becomes the “Hero” his characters are always ready to save the day.
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The Inventor
Sept 13, 1965- I built a few puzzles for Zadie and Fuller this week. They’ve been twisting their brains trying to solve them all morning. It truly is exercise for the mind.
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The Writer
June 22, 1965- Storytelling gives confidence to a child’s imagination. Zadie and Fuller played “ghost hunters” today and it surprisingly ended with a summer time lemonade party. Strange play indeed but it was rich in storytelling and full of adventure and excitement as it unfolded. It crossed boundaries from adventure and ended with an imitation [...]
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The Artist
April 8, 1965- Pablo Picasso once said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain one when they grow up.” I watch Zadie and Fuller create fantastic drawings of butterflies, robots, and even their own inventions and hope this creative expression continues for the rest of their lives. My goal is to help [...]
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“A WISH” for well balanced play.
June 6, 1961- It seems to be raining pitchforks and hammer handles today. It’s one those rare Colorado days stuck inside the workshop staring at projects that need tending. Instead of working, I find myself mesmerized watching my grandchildren, Zadie and Fuller playing “Pirate” with just broom handles, paper hats, and a cardboard box. The [...]
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