Hoppo Bumpo (n): A children's game. Played by folding one's arms and hopping on one leg. Aim is to bump opponents, so that they lose their balance. Last person standing wins.


January 08, 2010

Lids and alerts and other innovations



I like dreaming up design ideas. You know, those little wouldn't-it-be-great-if thoughts - a fantasy building or engineering project.

Like the umbrella that attaches to the pram handle. Mumbrella: guaranteed to keep you and your bub dry, until that bus drives past and splashes a dirty great puddle on you. Or the rain alert. Danger, danger Will Robinson. Your washing is about to get wet. Or the lid for a cot. Watch him try and climb out now: mwha-haa-haa-haaa

The trouble with these ideas, is they are just that. Concepts. I've been blessed with little skill in the constructing-stuff-that-would-actually-work department.

So thankfully when I revealed my latest idea for a useful craft aide, Mr Hoppo Bumpo quickly stepped in and took over. He knows that my knowledge of electronics would fill little more than the back of a postage stamp.

You see, despite studying physics at school, I am inclined to think a circuit is something small children do of the house. Or a battery is something that occurs when my smalls get involved in a bit of biffo. And that watts are the relentless questions asked by three year olds.

So as Mr HB toils with the soldering iron and a small hacksaw and says exciting things like let's cannibalise the parts from this lamp, (more on this later) I am once again free to dream up new ideas.

Danger, danger Wil Robinson. Bus approaching. Put up an umbrella and put the lid on that pram.

16 comments:

  1. Go the lid on the cot - thats inspired. Cant wait to see what you are creating

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  2. an umbrella on a pram is actually a good idea. if people bought those hats with an umbrella on them I'm sure your idea would work :)

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  3. Mumbrella? That's hilarious! YOu even think of names for your inventions, I wonder what the cot lid will be called?!

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  4. Trust me, i did physics at Uni & often get shown up by a 6 year old on wind-up robot technology. The shame, where did that brain go??
    Love the idea of a lid on the cot!! I had 4 climbers, they could scale slippery ropes & yes, they would hang off curtain rods. Their cots were simply giant stepping stools.
    Love Posie

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  5. If it's the cot lid could I place an advance order please?

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  6. Hang on...circuits, watts...it's an electric fence, isn't it?

    Put my name down for one of those too ;)

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  7. Ha lid on a cot - I so wish I had one! Maybe a warning system for toddlers : " danger danger will robinson your child is going to paint your kitchen green!"

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  8. Ooooh, what is it ? What is it ? I used to think it would be great to have a little pull out shade/umbrella cloth in the top of your passenger door so you could put bub into the car without getting a saturated back. Of course now they are old enough to get in by themselves so I just let THEM get wet.

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  9. Hey that is great! Think the ideas and get them keen and then they take over and do it so you can get on with more things..

    cool

    real cool.

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  10. I'm super excited to see this invention of yours. I love that you & the mister have worked on it together too.

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  11. What are you up to? Can't wait to see.

    I definitely want a Mumbrella just so I can say it all the time. Love it.

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  12. Ack, now I am all curious! How long do we have to wait? It must be exciting if a soldering iron AND a hacksaw are involved!

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  13. I've just been getting Mr Fixit to help me with sewing stuff; he worked out how to oil and fix the old sewing machine and is quite good at understanding putting things together inside out and backwards - unlike me- so he has a better grasp of sewing instructions than moi. Quite like having the man help out in such craftiness.

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  14. Did you know you can actually get a crib cover and a pram umbrella? - yep, I spend way too much time looking at kiddy stuff.... my favorite gadget is my cup holder that attaches to the pram handle. I thought it was stupid at first but I actually use it ALL the time.

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  15. Well you know.. in Japan I think you can buy a "mumbrella", though surely not with such a cool name. They certainly have umbrellas that attach to their bicycles, so why not prams?

    hehehe... and the tv (and I think newspaper) weather reports over there have a "washing drying" rating, a little symbol that goes up to tell you that that day is a good day to get your washing out :)

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