OctoPlay

A fun and engaging children’s toy to support childhood development

The ages 3-6 are vital developmental years for children. This project aims to support children in this age group in hitting developmental milestones, whether physical, emotional, or social, through play.

Toy Design / Soft Goods
Project Type: Group Research, Individual Design
Duration - 6 Weeks
Special Thanks : RIT Margaret’s House

Initial Research

Children’s brains develop in spurts called critical periods. This first critical period of brain development begins around age 2 and concludes around age 7. During these critical periods, they become more familiar with their bodies and how to use them, learn to understand the world around them and interact with it, and begin socializing and making friends. This narrows me down to 3 areas of development that I want to target with my toy.

Physical

During this critical period, they need to practice refining their movements and building stronger coordination. They should be able to…

Develop gross motor skills like walking, jumping, throwing, and kicking

Develop fine motor skills like holding a pencil, stacking items, or cutting along straight lines.

Cognitive / Emotional

Children also begin to become more aware of their emotions and learn how to control them. They should be able to ...

Practice self-learning and exploration‍

Develop a sense of confidence

Learn to overcome obstacles

Express their emotions in a healthy way

Sort, match, and name shapes and colors

Social

They begin to learn to interact with fellow peers and others around them. They should be able to ...

Participate in parallel & cooperative play

Learn to share toys and objects with peers

Understand and resolve small conflicts

Gain interpersonal skills like kindness, empathy, teamwork, and communication

Insights From Parents

“When I was a child, dolls always had blonde hair, and for me, that made me feel unwelcome, or bad about the way I looked”

Kids are creative! Her kids will use anything as toys, from bowls, utensils, cookie cutters, gardening tools... etc

“My kids really enjoy playing pretend toys, like barbie doll sets.”

Kids like little toy sets like toolsets, miniature brooms, and watering to pretend or copy their parents.

My kids enjoy open-ended activities or toys like painting, action figures, or mini figurines they can play pretend with.

Inspiration

Sketches

Prototyping

Play Time!

Playtime was a success! The kids really took to the toy, playing by themself or with others. The toy was even used as a prop in their play. Moving forward, I added more points of connection for even more play opportunities.