He’s cute, small, and always on the move. No wonder children can relate to the fabulously fun Pingy Penguin designed by famous Finn Eero Aarnio for the Magis Me Too collection.

Part toy, part new member of the family, Pingy gets the wobbles with the slightest nudge, yet will never ever fall over, making for great entertainment for all ages – from babies (who love a bit of black and white as a focal point) to grandparents. And with his durable polyethylene construction, this little character is just as good outdoors as he is indoors.

So what is the point of this playful little pal? Well, you just need to spend a little time with him (and perhaps a few of his companions) and you will see how addictive he is.

Fun, quirky, playful – no one can resist one little push! Besides, he is just the right height for children so they can feel like they have someone their own size to play with now.

We also love what the designer of Pingy – Eero Aarnio – has to say about this little character: “I have always been amused when I see on TV or in the movies a group of penguins dressed in ‘tuxedos’ waddling along in the Antarctic. As a young boy I made my first penguin out of paper pulp (papier-mâché). My mother dried it above the woodstove in our apartment and when it was dry I painted it black and white. For years this 20cm high penguin lived on top of the cupboard in my childhood home. Unfortunately my apartment was destroyed in the 40’s during the bombing of Helsinki and the penguin was lost in the mayhem of war. Penguin chicks are covered in grey soft feathers and will turn black and white when adults, but I have used the liberties of an artist and allowed this particular penguin chick to have black and white feathers. The shape of the head and the profile with the cute beak have the right proportions and the eyes have the realistic almond shape characteristic to penguin chicks. This little penguin has perhaps had a little too much to eat and therefore has the round belly, but this particular rotund shape allows it to mimic the realistic waddling movement, which makes it so lovable and cute.”

Designer Details Born 1932 in Helsinki, Finland, Eero Aarnio studied interior and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts before established his own design office in Helsinki in 1962. He now has four design studios around Finland. His awards from around the globe are many, and he is represented in many of the world’s most esteemed museums – from the MOMA in New York to Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris and London’s V&A, but he is perhaps most famous for his iconic 1963 design of the ‘room within a room’ Ball Chair, his hanging Bubble chair and the Pastil. He has designed four products for the Magis MeToo collection – Pingy, Puppy, Flying Carpet and Trioli. The MeToo collection for children ages two to six was established by Magis in 2004 with the express purpose of creating objects and furniture designed specifically for this age group (rather than being simply ‘shrunk down’ versions of adult pieces). Eugenio Perazza, president of Magis, explains of his selection process: “I wanted to go about this the same way that children themselves might conduct and manage this kind of operation. I started to look for designers who were able to think with the mind of a child. Eero’s wife Pikko told me that Eero always plays with the glasses and the bottle when he’s at the table and waiting for the next course. He piles the glasses on top of the bottle in precarious towers, and that’ when accidents happen.”