Orisinal: Morning Sunshine was started in 2000 by California artist Ferry Halim as a place he could tinker around with his creations while simultaneously sharing them with the public. Now, ten years later, he still maintains the site and occasionally adds new content. I can’t remember how I originally heard about Orisinal, but I know it was around 2001 when I first fired up one these ridiculously cute games. I played them feverishly over a few weeks, and then, like so many things on the interwebs, I moved on and never went back.
Now that I have children, I look at this site from a completely new perspective and see an amazing source of children’s entertainment. The imagery is gorgeous, the ethereal soundtracks are soothing, and, for the most part, the game play is simplistic and intuitive. Also, many of Ferry’s creations feature eager and adorable animals that are certain to hold kids’ attention. On top of all that, from a practical standpoint, your children will learn some basic computer skills like mouse usage and interface navigation.
Here’s a few suggestions to get you and your little ones started:
Catch falling apples in Apple Season
Descend the depths of the ocean in The Bottom of the Sea
Capture bumble bees in bubbles with Bumble Bees
Try to keep a ball submerged and on target with Fishball
Chew gum, blow bubbles, and catch bugs in Bugs
I can’t wait to introduce my boys to Orisinal, which I’ll be doing as soon as I beat my high score at Floats!
How about you? What favorite-but-forgotten activity have you recently rediscovered only because of your children?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
That is awesome. Definitely going to point my three year old this way. She’ll love it.
Ha, I don’t have kids, but that was fun! Those are some beautiful games. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comments guys! Glad you enjoyed the site, it’s a good one!