3 Important Back-to-School Safety Tips

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back to school safety reflectors for backpacks and book bags
Back to school safety reflectors for backpacks and book bags

School supplies piled high, schedules checked and papers signed. Getting kids back to school can be daunting, and it is easy to forget all the soft things that are not on the provided supply lists, for example talking with your kids how to handle difficult and dangerous situations or what to do if they see bullying or are the target of it. Strategies and safety tips for how to deal with bullies, strangers and traffic dangers is something every kid should be taught.

1. Tools for Kids to Deal With Bullying

Bullying hurts, emotionally and/or physically, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, it also prevents learning and developing new skills. Take the time to talk with your kids about bullying, how to stand up for others and how they can protect themselves.  It’s not always so easy to bring up the topic of bullying with the kids, we found some good tips here on how to talk about bullying. Go here to get strategies for your kids to deal with and prevent bullying. Give them the confidence to stand up for themselves but also to help others who might be the target of bullying.

2. Teach Kids More Than “Stranger Danger”

“Stranger Danger” is easy to tell kids, but it does not give them any tools to deal with creepy, scary and dangerous situations. When doing nothing is not enough, kids need to know what action to take. We like the site ChildSafetyFun.com as it gives kids and parents tools to assess strangers, most of whom are thankfully good people, and take immediate action when they are not. It teaches kids how they can verbally and physically protect themselves and encourages you to practice different situations with your kids.

3. Practice Road Safety With Your Kids

Whether your kids walk or bike to school, or wait for the school bus at the side of the road, they need to understand to take traffic seriously. That goes for teens in middle and high school too! We have mentioned it many times before on this blog, but here is a quick reminder:

  • Cross streets on crosswalks and at intersections. Most  pedestrian crashes (70%) occur in the middle of the block.
  • Walk on the left side if there is no sidewalk. That way you know what’s going on with the traffic closest to you, and you will have more time to step away if needed.
  • Wear reflectors from dusk to dawn when walking, biking or running. Cars have rear lights to be seen and it is equally important for anyone not in a car to make themselves seen by drivers. Of all fatal teen pedestrian accidents, 75% happen when it’s dark. Make sure your kids don’t end up as a tally mark in the 2016 crash statistics.

The best way to teach kids how to behave is to practice what you preach. Be a good role model and park the car a block away next time, and use that to practice crossing streets. Especially, teach the kids to watch out for drivers turning “right on red” because those drivers are often only looking to the left… Wear reflectors yourself (you don’t want to become a tally mark either, right?) from dusk to dawn. For those adults who don’t think ninja or kitten safety reflectors are the right style for you, we have some more “neutral” ones too 🙂
The funflector team
P.S. And to all parents out there who need to take a deep breath now when kids are back in school: This safety reflector is for you, enjoy!

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The Meaning of the Ampersand

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The typographic symbol “&” or “ampersand”, is a fun squiggle that requires some practice to write smoothly. As the funflector team has worked on the design of our ampersand safety reflector, I remember the proud feeling of accomplishment when, in second grade, I finally got the pen to turn and twist the right way. From a designer’s perspective it is fun to play around with and many different 3D versions has lately made it onto the shelves of many home decorating stores. The Design Hack has written a blog post on the history and their love affair with the graphic beauty and styles of the ampersand and we totally share their love of the design.

Ampersand safety reflector in sandalwood hanging on the handle of a bag.
Ampersand safety reflector in sandalwood hanging on the handle of a bag.


If you want to decorate your home with ampersands, there are so many styles, materials and sizes, but how about if you want to decorate your bags or clothing with one? We did not find many ampersand accessories beyond jewelry so we are proud to add an ampersand safety reflector to our 2016 collection. It looks awesome on jackets, bags and purses. Check it out in our webshop here! It is available in a number of colors and even our black safety reflectors are super bright as explained here.

What’s the meaning of the Ampersand?

Ampersand home decoration covered in with sequence and purple safety reflector.
Ampersand home decoration covered in with sequence and purple safety reflector.


The ampersands symbolizes the word “AND”, which is
the word that brings people together, ties together two disparate things or thoughts,
the word that can make 1+1 equal to 3
AND it is the word that if used in the right place, sparks discoveries and innovation! The ampersand is also a reminder that we are not alone, but stronger together. As a friend of mine put it: “I have many brothers and sisters and think of us all strung together by the word AND. So when I se the ampersand, it makes me think of my loving family.”
In many languages  it represent a very short word
AND in English
UND in German
ET in French
OG in Danish
even in Finnish where something as simple as 1-2-3 is yksi-kaksi-kolme, the word for “and” is JA.
Why is it a favorite for us? When you put AND between thoughts, concepts and models that have not previously been combined, that’s when you get discoveries and innovation! It is also a constant reminder to take one more step, to dig one shovel deeper and take in one more viewpoint. And then what?
We’d love to hear what you think of when you see the ampersand. Please comment below!


Elisabeth

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Happy 4th of July!

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The funflector team is wishing everyone a fantastic and safe Independence Day!

Happy fourth of July from the funflector team I
Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

This year, we are sending our 4th of July greetings from Paris, France, one of many stops during our very inspirational travels this summer. We have been collecting ideas for future safety reflector designs and of course taken the opportunity to shoot some fun photos.
The funflector team

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2016/17 Collection Sneak Peek

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Even in Chicago, it is almost spring – Yay! – and it’s time for the funflector team to emerge from hibernation. Let’s give you a sneak preview of our fall collection that we’ve been hard at work with during the never-ending winter months.

Camera safety reflector by funflector
New design 2016 – 📸 Camera safety reflector by funflector 📷

For amateur and pro photographers alike, the funflector® camera safety reflector will look great on your camera bag and backpack. When you are too focused on what’s in your lens at sunset, this reflector will help drivers notice you.

Ninja and Ninja Star ultra bright backpack safety reflectors by funflector®.

No ninjas on the roads, please! Make them visible in style!

“Is there a ninja school around here?” A friend of ours visiting us on a Saturday night was stressed out when arriving. Not one, but two kids had appeared next his car on the badly lit residential streets. The high schools kids were of course dressed all in black. Luckily, our friend was going slowly enough to stop, but it was stressful, nevertheless. Equip your ninjas with funflector safety reflectors for safer walks around the neighborhood and to keep heart attacks away from drivers.

Bass clef pedestrian safety reflector by funflector
🎶 For all bass singers, cello, double bass, bassoon, trombone & tuba players, we have made a bass clef safety reflector to keep you safe when getting home from late night rehearsals and performances!!! 🎶

Our popular treble clef reflector will get accompanied by a much asked for bass clef reflector. We have both cello and trombone players in the family and know about the struggle for bass clef gifts. Musicians are often out at night, on their way to and from rehearsals and performances. These ultra reflective tags look stylish on any instrument case!
Stay tuned for more cool designs coming this summer and fall. Follow us on Instagram, twitter and Facebook to get the news first!

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Pedestrian Crash Statistics :(

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Walking is good for you. Every day, more people experience the wellbeing that comes from simple walks around the neighborhood or to nearby places. Unfortunately, as walking increases, so do traffic fatalities. The development of safe cars and better infrastructure has not yet caught up to the trend of walking. A whopping  3/4 of the crashes occur during the dark hours, at dusk or at dawn.

usa pedestrian fatailites 2014-2015
GHSA reports about an alarming 10% increase in pedestrian fatalities in 2015, of which 75% occur when it’s dark.

GHSA reports about an alarming 10% increase in pedestrian fatalities in 2015, of which 75% occur when it’s dark.

In a new report on pedestrian crash statistics, the GHSA (Governors Highway Safety Association) estimates a 10% increase in fatal pedestrian crashes from 2014 to 2015. Here are some quick facts:  …

Pedestrian Crash Statistics 🙁Read More »

Pedestrian Crash Statistics :( Read More »

Reflector Safety for Schools

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Last week, we posted about how prismatic safety reflectors work and some fun science projects to better understand retroreflectors. The posts were inspired by an order we recently shipped to a Seattle school for a reflector safety project.
Yesterday, I received this awesome story:
“Elisabeth,
The reflectors were a big hit. A parent and I did a safety talk and demonstration with a flash camera. I was in the school the next day and I heard a kid whispering “that’s the reflector lady”, so it must have made an impact.
At the assembly, we turned off the stage lights and I wore all black and walked across the stage, and then I turned and walked back the other way, but I had the star reflectors pinned on that half of the coat. Then the parent took a series of flash pictures to illuminate me in the dark. It was a quick and fun demonstration. We then delivered reflectors to each classroom.
Tomorrow at “Science Friday” the kids will be looking at reflectivity and retroreflectivity. Thanks for some of your science ideas.
Thanks for the fast turn around of my order.”
Monica Sweet, Seattle Safe Routes to School project

Safety Reflector demo by Monica at a Seattle School
Safety Reflector demo by Monica at a Seattle School

Thanks, Monica, for the story and photo and for letting us share it with our readers!
Elisabeth

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Reflector Craft Projects

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If you were to wear a small mirror instead of a funflector safety reflector on your jacket, the light from the cars would reflect back all over the road, trees and buildings, instead of to the driver as is the case with safety reflectors. In our last blog post we described how safety reflectors (retroreflectors) works. To better understand, a craft project to make a model of a retroreflector might help. This is what you need:

  • 2-3 empty cereal boxes
  • ruler
  • marker
  • scissors or knife
  • aluminum foil
  • 3 pipe cleaners or thin drinking straws in different colors
  • 5 twist ties

And this is how you do it:

Measure the same distance on the three sides from one corner and connect with a line to cut along.
Measure the same distance on the three sides from one corner and connect with a line to cut along.

…

Reflector Craft ProjectsRead More »

Reflector Craft Projects Read More »

Science Project with Retroreflectors

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We all have them in our photo albums: the photos taken with a flash straight into a window. The reflection of the harsh flash hovers over the heads of your friends because you forgot to take a step to the side and shoot a little bit diagonally into the window. If the window was a retroreflector, like a funflector safety reflector or a road sign, you would have got the flash bouncing back into your camera lens no matter where you were shooting from. Below and in our next post are some easy and fun ideas for a science project for schools or scout groups. These will help understand how retroreflectors work and why they can be so effective despite their small size.

Science Project with Safety Reflector & Laser Pointer

This video shows how a laser beam gets reflected right back to where it came from by a safety reflector.
Watch how it lights up the laser pointer and the hand holding it! (Please make sure the laser pointer is handled by an adult.)

…

Science Project with RetroreflectorsRead More »

Science Project with Retroreflectors Read More »

Happy New Year

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Safety reflectors for backpacks and jackets in shapes of shamrocks, stars, ladybugs and paw prints. EN13356.

As we mentioned in the beginning of the year, the very first order we received on New Years Day 2015 was for safety reflectors in shapes of shamrocks, ladybugs and stars. We took that as a sign that a lucky and stellar year was ahead of us and that is indeed what happened! Online sale in the US more than doubled and we’ve successfully launched our soft safety reflectors online in Canada in cooperation with C-Me Pedestrian Reflectors.

The funflector Showroom & Shop is open by appointment in Libertvyille IL.

In June 2015, we opened our Showroom in Libertyville, IL. It is located in the FreshStart Business Incubator, which also provides excellent business coaching that has helped us enormously to get on a growth track.

We would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to all our customers, wholesale customers, partners, suppliers and to FreshStart BI! We are looking forward to continuing business with you in 2016!

Elisabeth & the funflector team

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Walk & Run On the Left Side!

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We drive and bike on the right side of the road. But did you know that on roads without sidewalks, it is safer to walk on the left side? That way you are facing the oncoming traffic and are more aware of potentially dangerous situations. It is quite obvious when you think about it, but it seems like most people have never been told.

(If you are in Britain, Australia or any other country where you drive on the left, just reverse the whole picture and walk on the right.)

The road below is the last stretch of my bike route to work and I keep looking over my shoulder the whole time. …

Walk & Run On the Left Side!Read More »

Walk & Run On the Left Side! Read More »

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