Kinoishi wooden rocks by Taku Satoh

by Johnny on December 12, 2011

images courtesy Taku Satoh | click to enlarge

I’m always on the lookout for nice wooden toys for the kids. But who would have thought the most spectacular was also the most simple? Largely self-explanatory (but indulge me anyway), Kinoishi – literally, wooden rocks – are a bag of tactile wood pellets sanded so soft they resemble polished stones one might find washed up on shore.

They were designed by Taku Satoh and sold at a charity market earlier this year to benefit victims of the 3.11 tsunami and earthquake. As far as I can tell, they are currently unavailable.

You can stack them, you can draw with them or you can just cradle them in your hands. There are no rules to this game.