When Myrna Hoffman started looking for a way to liven up her daughter’s
birthday party, she didn’t know she’d be heading down a road paved some
500 years ago, or that her journey would later lead to the launch of a successful
educational toy company: OOZ & OZ (ToyDirectory).
That’s exactly what happened when she created the Mirror-aculous
line of toys. A few years ago, Hoffman, then a freelance graphic artist
at Harvard University, was inspired by an anamorphoscope that was on display
at an exhibit. Anamorphoscopes are specially curved mirrors that un-distort
warped pictures, reforming their reflections into normal images. After
years of research, Hoffman figured out how to construct the distortions,
and she then drew cartoon morphs for her daughter’s seventh birthday.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
The Mirror-aculous Art Activities Kit contains 32 pages
for coloring and drawing while on the road, 2 Mirror Decoder Cups (so
there’s no fighting for who needs the cup next), 16 crayons, instructions
in various languages and a unique carrying case that contains all the
tools for easy traveling.
Children can join OOZ & OZ’s Morph Club to download and print morphs
at home. Free "Morph-A-Months" for a year come with every order.
The company also offers Party Fun Kits for eight children,
Table Top Activities for schools and camps, Custom
Morphing and fundraiser coloring books with morphed student art.
The OOZ & OZ Art Activities Kit was recently chosen by well-known
author and child expert Dr. Helen Boehm for inclusion in The Official
Guide to the Right Toys 2003. It has also won a Parents’ Choice Gold
“Doing & Learning” Award and was listed among the “World’s Top Ten
Activity Toys” by Fun & Games Magazine,Dr.
Toy’s 10 Best Creative Products 2003, Dr. Toy’s 100
Best Children’s Products 2003, The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval
Creative Child Magazine’s Seal of Excellence.
Currently, the line of toys is available on the company’s website at oozandoz.com.
