SUNboring Swimwear for Boys: 2010 Edition

Board shorts are cool and all, but there's something so sweet about little boys in euro-style swim trunks, like the adorable Hip Racer Swim Trunk, left ($9.60, 12 months), from Australian-based ZOGGS. I just wish it was available in more U.S. stores and in larger sizes!

For a similar style, check out Mini Boden's collection of snug fitting swim trunks ($20), which are offered in sizes 1 to 11-12 years. We love all three prints, but our favorite is the bright green crocodiles. If you're looking for more sun protection, we like their bright and stripey Surf Suits ($48), and for post-beach, cuddle your unboring boy up in their comfy Towelling Throw On ($44).

Older boys will really get into Munster Kids' hip and irreverent White Paperplane Board Shorts (sizes 8 & 12, on sale for $39.95 at Tutti Bella), which picture King Kong on top of a building throwing paper airplanes!

Every year I check out Vilebrequin's swimwear collection for boys and I really, really wish their pieces were within my price range, because they have some of the hippest and most inspired styles for boys I've seen, going beyond the surfing and Hawaiian themes we see so much of here in the U.S. Their junior lines--Jim for ages 2-6, and Jam for ages 8-14--were introduced in 1995 and are modeled after the men's collection. This year my favorites are the Rabbits and Corner of Paradise. Both are pricey at $130 but if you plan to live at the beach this year (and can hand them down to a younger child next summer), it might be worth it. You can pretend you're vacationing on the French Riviera!

Just a reminder! There is still time to enter our latest giveaway for a science-themed bodysuit (winners choice!) from KatyANDZucchini. For details click here.

Cool Graphic Tees from Mini Shatsu

Over the years, I've seen a lot of boys' t-shirts, and my reaction to most of them is meh. Because most of them feature the same old tired motifs: cars, sports numbers, dinosaurs. I'm not against dinosaurs or soccer balls--just as long as the designer does something fresh with them.

Once in a while I run across a tee (or tees) that make me think, "Now, that's cool!" And that's what happened when I saw Mini Shatsu's 80s inspired collection of graphic tees & twofers featuring guitars, microphones, old school turntables, cameras, balloon animals and even a fanny pack (sized 3 mos.-8)!

For fall/winter 2010, Mini Shatsu (Shatsu means "shirt" in Japanese) is introducing denim jeans, corduroy and French terry pants, and jackets along with their popular tees and hoodies, including my favorite, the Alien Abduction hoodie, right (this is the back view). Seriously, how cute is this hoodie???! (click on the pic for a closer look). For a list of retailers click here.

Science Fun & KatyANDZucchini Giveaway!

Nick and Henry are really into science right now--outer space, experiments, weather, rockets & robots--so this week we're featuring some super cool and geeky science stuff that any scientist-to-be (and his parents) would love, starting with KatyANDZucchini's cool science-themed bodysuits for Baby.

Our favorite is the clever XY chromosome onesie, left ($15.50, sizes 3-6 mos.- 18 mos.) Melissa, the designer behind KatyANDZucchini, who is a mom and science teacher, explains that it's perfect for, "When people in line at the grocery store look at your little guy and say, 'how old is SHE', you can point to his XY chromosome onesie." We also love the set of three alphabet bodysuits including C is for Cephalopod.

Just for Unboring Boys: We are giving away ascience themed bodysuit (winner's choice!) from KatyANDZucchini to one lucky reader! Just browse KatyANDZucchini's shop and e-mail unboringboys@yahoo.com with SCIENCE in the subject line and tell us which style you would choose should you win. Get extra entries for becoming a fan of KatyANDZucchini on Facebook here, leaving a comment below, subscribing to Unboring Boys, or following us on Twitter. We'll pick one lucky Unboring Boys reader at random June 10th. U.S. residents, only, please. Good luck!

More fun science stuff:

Steve Spangler's store has all the supplies and kits little scientists need, including Test Tube Adventures Lab in a Bag, which includes 5 giant test tubes each with a science experiment in it.

Uncommon Goods carries the cutest (and nerdiest) set of Number or ABC Flash Cards ($16-22) (Think: E is for Electromagnetic)!

Bobinette's Spring/Summer Line for Boys

Bobinette's Spring/Summer line is here and I am in love! Bobinette is an Unboring Boy fave (read previous articles here and here) and for good reason. Their styles are hip and adorable and the natural cotton and linen fabrics are so soft and comfortable that your unboring boy will love wearing them. These are signature, timeless pieces that can be dressed up or down, making them incredibly versatile.

My favorite piece this season is the navy Clovis shirt, left, but I also adore the gray gingham Milo shirt.

For the current collection, designer Lorraine Le Tac drew inspiration from her travels around Morocco, Sri Lanka and her hometown of Paris. The name Bobinette means "little face" in French.

To see the entire line and a list of retailers, visit www.Bobinette.com.

The lucky winner is....

Congratulations to Kelly from Auckland, New Zealand who won the messenger bag from Meeabee! She chose the adorable beetle cars print. Thanks to all our readers who participated and to Jacqui at Meeabee for being a sponsor! This was our most popular giveaway so far and it was great to hear from so many of you! The very talented Jacqui has hinted at doing another messenger bag giveaway in the fall, so stay tuned.

More fabulous features, giveaways and exclusive savings from the hottest boys' clothing designers and boutiques are coming this summer. Sign up for e-mail updates, or follow us through Blogger or on Twitter.

For Aspiring Novelists: Tell Me a Story Notebooks from EarthHugs

OK, I know this "Tell Me a Story" mac & cheese notebook from EarthHugs has Pokemon creatures on it (what are Pokemon, anyway?), but read on before you start thinking Unboring Boys has gone over to the dark side of licensed characters.

There are three really cool things about this notebook I want to tell you about.

1) It's made with a recycled mac & cheese box and recycled paper, making it earth-friendly.

2) It's expressly designed for story writing: "Each ruled page is faced by a blank page for young writers to draw a picture that accompanies their journal entry or story." How clever is that?!

3) A mom of two started EarthHugs as a family business that her two kids, ages 6 & 8, could be involved in. Owner Wendi says, "I started it with my kids to help teach them about recycling/upcycling, and also to help teach them some of the fundamentals about business. They are thrilled helping me to assemble the books and also when we get a new heart or facebook fan!"

EarthHugs carries a fun collection of notebooks in different sizes, including a cute Trix Doodle Diary from a mini cereal box, for 3-5 bucks. If you have a struggling or reluctant writer, one of these might just be the motivation they need to start writing their literary masterpiece.

Unboring Rainwear Roundup

It's April and time for our annual roundup of the coolest rain gear for boys. Last year we were a little disappointed in the lack of selection. Sure there were raincoats designed to look like fireman coats galore, along with plenty of boring solid colors. But umbrellas, rain boots and raincoats should be bright and fun to bring a little sunshine to even the gloomiest of rainy days.

Well, this year, I'm happy to report that there are more cool prints and styles for boys to choose from, starting with this awesome tiger print set by Sammies by Samsonite ($47.95) I love the bright orange color & the little tiger handle. Sammies also carries adorable turtle and penguin prints. Shop around the Internet for the best price.

My favorite rain coat this year comes from The Children's Place and features an allover comic book, superhero print (on sale for $22.12; 18 months to 4T). For quality, you can't beat Hatley. Their new Sailing Dog print ($49.99; 2T-7) is SO adorable! As always with Hatley, rain boots and umbrellas are available to match.

Our pick for hippest rain boots this year are the Duck Boots ($58, sizes 1-13) from Stella McCartney for KidGap (looks like some sizes are already selling out), but we also love Trumpette's Johnny rain boots that look like high top sneakers (prices & sizes vary depending on where you buy).