This has become a daily ritual for us… arranging and rearranging these balancing blocks. It’s fun to see how it forms, it sort of reflects the day. Call it art, call it a puzzle… whatever it is, it’s a fun and calming act. Yesterday, some friends came over for coffee, which turned into breakfast, and then turned to beers, and eventually, a fun balancing act.

Sometimes the most satisfying experiences come from the simplest of things. We were reminded of that just last week when we got our copy of Monocle featuring the Balancing Blocks. In the spirit of endless fun, we broke out our set and asked everyone at the studio to create their own masterpiece. Here’s what we came up with!

Ted’s creation is a visual sleight of hand. What at first looks like one H-structure, turned out to be two tall towers. Doesn’t one look like a giraffe to you?



Charlie’s was inspired by the Children’s Fairyland theme park on Oakland, where children could unlock the sites by using a special key. The tiny red block in the front is the key and the rest of it is the lock.



If Charlie’s was a lock, then Angie’s was like a fun, multicolored skyscraper city. That would make a great place to live in. Yellow buildings, red roofs and all.



Dikka created a major balancing act with not one but two outcroppings peeking out!



That’s Carren with her rendition of two people walking their dogs at a park.



Reese is amazing with her blocks. How did she make them go up so tall?



Sana decided to take hers a different direction, going horizontal instead. Love the color combo on the top.



That yellow block looks ready to slide down, but Shuhan somehow made it all stay still.



Balancing blocks are a great creative exercise, it can even make you a few friends with the right message. Right, Joe? Hi, back!

That’s our mini studio break for the day! What do you do for office fun? We’d love to hear from you.

We all take time to do the dishes, wash the laundry, cook dinner, but what about having a little fun?

Play fires up our brain cells and opens the mind to new ideas. Not only does it help us become more creative, research says it might also make you a better adjusted human being.

So in honor of tinkering, fiddling and general messing about, we’ve put together some dangerously fun products to help make your day a little more exciting.

Inspired by the Japanese Shinto Kumi-ki puzzles, the Cubebot unfolds from beautiful sustainably harvested cherry wood cube to powerful toy robot sans batteries. Pose him like the strongman he is, turn him upside down or even make him dance around; his elastic band muscles and durable wood limbs can take it. Like Transformers, the Cubebot truly is more than meets the eye.

Recapture the joy of childhood with these Artful Flyers. Reminiscent of the paper airplanes we all used to make, these flying machines made of quality balsa wood wind up with the help of a rubber band. Just wind them up and let your joy soar along with these flyers!

We can’t get enough of the Sprocket Rocket camera. It’s the perfect way to capture the fun of spring. Don’t waste even an inch of your 35mm film; the Sprocket Rocket produces awe-inspiring panoramic photos and bleeds right to the very edge of the film. Try your hand at light painting with this camera’s long exposure setting.

Let your inner Picasso loose with our DIY shower curtain. Using the black permanent pen included, doodle your way to a bathroom masterpiece. Don’t forget to sign your oeuvre.

Handmade in Brooklyn from repurposed hardwood scrap, Balancing Blocks capture our fancy with their contemporary look and vintage feel. Steady your hand and build yourself an eye-catching sculpture for your table, bookshelf or desk.

At Poketo, we add spice to our workday with a little music. You should give it a shot too. Music balloons are portable and rechargeable USB speakers disguised as squishy, colorful balls. Animate a picnic, pool party or bike ride with these deceptively powerful speakers.