New Toy in Town Made by Local Artist

There's a new toy in town.

The Strobotop, designed by local author and artist Rufus Butler Seder, is a spinning disc that allows children to play with animation and nurture their creativity, while also building their fine motor and visual skills, according to Seder.

The toy, which made its debut at Henry Bear's Park on June 5, is designed for ages 6 and up, said Seder who has been making murals for years, but started about a decade ago making optically animated installations. He is also a bestselling author with several books for children and adults in animation.

"This is the first electronic toy I developed," said Seder who calls the Strobotop, "visually engaging, almost mesmerizing."

The top itself is about the size of a CD and different designs can be placed atop the spinning surface. Children hold a pointer – "the size of a banana," according to Seder – and that makes the animation move.

"The strobotop makes a child media savvy in a funny sort of way," Seder said. "It teaches the principles of animation of anything you see in a movie or on TV."

Children can use the designs that come with the toy or make their own. "You don't have to be a great artist," Seder promises.

The toy has been a huge success at Henry Bear's Park in Arlington since its debut last week, which was attended by 40 - 50 people, said owner Sally Lesser. "The kids loved it." They played with it for a long time. It was one of the best events we had."

The store is already sold out of te first order and plans to order more, she said. In additon, she plans to schedule demos in both her Cambridge and Brookline stores.

For now, the Strobotop is only available at independent toy stores like Henry Bear's, but Seder does hope it may have even greater success and become more widely available.

"It is intriguing, challenging and will spark imagination. What could be better?" he asks.