Some time ago, we recommended the Playmobil Romans toys for any young Rome-antics in your life.  Of course we particularly love the Roman arena (above, left) and have been considering whether or not such an accessory is a real necessity for the eCool Compound or whether it would be such a distraction as to keep us from blogging regularly.

Now, however, that we’ve seen what can be done with the Playmobil arena, we’re running out to buy one.  If you want to see for yourself, click on over to YouTube and watch the Playmobil tribute to the movie Gladiator.  This is good stuff folks, and we just can’t get enough.

Via the former Ph.Diva.

Here inside the eCool Compound (also known as sick bay at present), we’ve grateful to the 24 Hour Museum for putting us onto the National Museum of Scotland’s online Roman resources for kids.  We’ve been having lots of fun with the cute What Did Romans Wear Activity?, by which we’ve become significantly better educated about the clothing and armor of Roman soldiers.  Kids who  love Rome will enjoy dragging clothing and armor onto the body of a burly Roman soldier, figuring out the order in which they should be put on, and deciding which items were worn by the infantry and which by the cavalry.

Once your soldiers are dressed and ready to go, you might want to try your hand at building a Roman For, also on the website of the National Museum of Scotland.  Though their Where does the Roman Army Live? game lacks the charming burly soldiers of found in What Did Romans Wear?, kids probably won’t care, especially if they’re into fort-building and the careful planning of sieges.

To find more Rome-based online activities for kids, click on over to the 24 Hour Museum.  They’ve kindly done a round-up of some of the best ones.

Madeline, the first of a series of books about an adventurous little French girl, was originally written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans in 1939. Almost seventy years later, Bemelmans’ grandson, John Bemelmans Marciano, continues the family tradition by publishing Madeline and the Cats of Rome. We’re buying this one for all the small Rome-antics in our lives.

Though the author Marciano never met his famous grandfather, he did write and pubublish published his nonno’s biography, Bemelmans: The Life and Art of Madeline’s Creator.  While sorting through his grandfather’s personal papers in preparation for that book, Marciano discovered unpublished illustrations and pencil drawings that led him to illustrate and complete the holiday stories in Madeline in America, a book he published in 1999.  And, he also used those drawings to turn  Madeline into a good-etiquette advocate in Madeline Says Merci.

Now, with Madeline and the Cats of Rome, he’s produced the first full-length story book about Madeline since the death of his grandfather, sending the individualistic Parisian girl to Rome where she chases down a wild-haired urchin who steals the camera of her teacher, Miss Clavel.

Time Out New York recently reviewed the Madeline in Rome book saying:

The lively gouaches of Madeline and the Cats of Rome demonstrate that it’s okay to color outside the lines: The girls’ canary-yellow hats and pink ribbons, usually thickly outlined in black, appear here and there as impressionistic dashes of pigment. The Italian sun, not content to shine in the background, seems to hang in the middle of the piazza, playfully set off by festive lavender swirls.

A romp through the Eternal City, cats lounging on and around iconic monuments, and an Italian sun sparkling atop a piazza?  We’re sold.

Using a lot of paint, and a few simple props (a spongy ball, some google eyes), Italian graphic artist Mario Mariotti (1937-1997) transformed his hands into animals, athletes and musicians.  His intriguing creations are well-documented in a book, Hanimations, that’s loved by kids worldwide–and for the next month or so you there’s an exhibition  of his photographs here in Rome.

The exhibition is being hosted in the Casina di Raffaello in the Villa Borghese.  On exhibit are some 80 photos of his handy-work, of which we show you just a sampling here.  Take your kids–or your inner child–because there’s a workshop in which children can participate.

Animani.  Le Mani di Mario.  On exhibit until 29 June at the Casina di Raffaello.  Viale di Casina di Raffaello, Villa Borghese.  Open Tuesdays-Sundays from 9:00am to 7:00pm.  If you’re planning to bring the kids and they want to participate in the workshop or “laboratorio,” be sure to read this information about the hours in which it is open to the public.

Legos are not really our thing here at the eCool Compound, but we’re completely charmed by these Lego celebrities. From Leonardo to Michelangelo and the David, from King Midas to Hercules, and from Caravaggio to Alexander the Great, these clever creations are enough to send us running for that box of legos packed away long ago.

We don’t know who made these little figures, but we showcase here those historical and mythical figures whose lives and achievements figure into the history of Rome. For a whole range of more modern Lego celebs, take yourself to the Marco Folio blog.

Almost half a century ago, Miroslav Sasek became celebrated for his This Is… series of books that introduced children to exotic locales worldwide.  A generation of world travelers was charmed by Sasek’s brilliant, vibrant illustrations, but then the books went out of print.

Universe Publishing to the rescue! Over the past few years, Universe has been releasing facsimile editions of classic series, allowing new generations to enjoy the wonderful illustrations.

Today, we celebrate his This is Rome book, first published in 1960 and re-released in 2006.  It’s a great gift for children and adults alike!  This is Rome traces the history of Roman civilization, bringing to life the Rome of the 60’s. Sasek navigates Rome’s busy, winding streets to visit such glorious historical landmarks as the sculptures by Michelangelo, Vatican City, the Pantheon, and the Fontana di Trevi.  Along the way, he showcases some of the eccentricities of modern Roman life, from its colorful trains, trams, and taxis to its chic espresso bars and pasta houses.

Anyone who’s over four years old and isn’t getting Playmobil’s Roman Arena (see top left photo) for Christmas is going to want to throw Santa Claus to the lions. Having taken Germany by storm in 2006, the Playmobil Romans are invading American shores just in time for the 2007 holidays.

The most fantastic of the Roman toys available is the extra-large Colosseum set (top, left). With a diameter of about three feet, the assembly-needed (but it’s easy) plastic arena comes with several tiers of seating, animal holding pens, trap doors, and its own marble statues! Gladiator figures are included and can be decked out in a variety of arms and armor (and you can buy extra gladiators if you want to throw an especially impressive set of games). There are fierce wild animals and cages in which to keep them, a two-horsed chariot, and a stately emperor and empress whose job it is to preside over the festivities.

Of course, any aficionado of ancient Roman culture knows that gladiatorial games were often thrown to celebrate such occasions as the winning of a war. Thus, kids are also going to be clamoring for other toys in the Playmobil Roman series so that they can stage their own ancient battle and practice the all-important skills needed to build an empire and rule the world.

Kids will be eager to take full charge of battle strategy from the Commander’s Tent (top right photo), sending a Warrior’s Ship (above, left) out to patrol the seas and ordering the troops to siege the enemy with a firing catapult (above, right).

A legion of Roman warriors – bearing a standard that reads SPQR – will aid in the efforts (above, left), while a battle tower (below, left) will certainly make it easier to march against fierce enemy troops.

And, to round out a day of ancient fun, it’s likely that every young Romanist will demand a four-horse chariot (above, right), for that’s the vehicle in which victorious Roman generals rode during the elaborate triumphal processions staged to celebrate their military successes, before donning civilian togs and heading to a seaside villa for a bit of honeyed wine.