SōZō Play

What is it?

The SōZō Play system is a flexible, open-ended modular system that allows for parents/caregivers to cooperate in building play structures, customise them using everyday items from around the home and play with their creations either in their home or outdoors.

How it works

The SōZō Play system is made up of various size blocks that can be joined using pins, straps and accessories such as wheels, hoses and handles. When combined, these parts can be made to build anything from climbing blocks, a ride-on car, a balance board, a toy house, or a climbing tower. These items can be further customised using the unique SōZō pin and nut system to connect cardboard boxes or other common household items.

The system is designed with a level of complexity that requires parental assistance during the build/construction phase but allows for a child to continue to play with the item once built.

I wanted to create a product that encourages play for preschool children, whilst providing them with key developmental opportunities such as constructive play, role-play and practice play.
Benjamin Hermann, 2021

THE RESEARCH

The first step of this project was researching the importance of early childhood development (ECD), the impact of play, challenges parents face when engaging with their children, and as a result, how toy design approached these issues.

Analysing existing literature and studies on these topics highlighted the importance of providing children with developmental opportunities in a variety of settings and designing toys that meet the needs of children and their parents. To establish a baseline and understand toy/activity trends, I conducted qualitative user research through surveys, interviews and a cultural probe. 56 participants completed the survey, 30-minute interviews were conducted with 10 participants from five families, followed by a cultural probe completed by each family.

The main conclusions from the study were that toys influence the development of key skills in children, but also that parents often have difficulty engaging with their children during play because they have few common interests. Constructive play, the use of blocks and building, was the most common type of play that engaged both children and parents. The activities that both groups enjoyed the most were outdoor activities and there is an opportunity to combine these in ways that appeal to both children and parents to make the time they spend together more meaningful.

Using this research, a set of design criteria was established to aid in developing a product or system that encourages developmental play for children between the ages of 3 and 8 years old, while focusing on cooperative, constructive and imaginative play while facilitating common interests shared by parents/caregivers.

Name: Connecting Through Play – by BENJAMIN HERMANN
File Type: application
File Size: 4 MB
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OBJECTIVES

I wanted to create a product or system that encourages play for preschool children, whilst providing them with key developmental opportunities such as constructive play, role-play, and practice play. It was also important to focus on cooperative play with parents/caregivers, leading to meaningful interactions and enhancing social and language development. I identified through interviews with parents that the product/system will need to grow with the child taking them from early preschool age through until early elementary school age (3 to 8 years old).

Surveys conducted with parents also found the product/system also needed to foster a shared interest that is common between the child and parent/caregiver. If a common interest is not shared, either party quickly loses interest in participating in the play session.

This was done by integrating outdoor or arts and crafts activities that were found to be the most popular activities by the participants of my research.

Play is important to children’s development, and this is supported by the literature and primary research conducted. Parents and carers play a significant role in the development of these skills, and how their interactions with their children can have positive influences. Play is recognised as a key factor in how children learn and explore. It helps them understand the world around them and build important problem-solving skills.

PEOPLE & CONTEXT

The SōZō Play system is primarily used in the home or backyard, however, it can also be used outdoors in spaces such as playgrounds, parks, and public spaces.

The product/system can fit within existing play spaces. This includes apartments, townhouses, and single dwelling homes. It can be stored within these spaces and consideration on how the product/system is stored and where it is stored has been accounted for.

Children
Pre-school age, 3-8 years old. 1 (50%) or 2 (45%) children per household.

Parents
34-44 years old, based in Australia (Brisbane), median income bracket. Disposable income. Purchase toys once a month, every few months (62%) or greater.

ACTIONS

Users’ behaviour can be broken down into several situations. Play can be categorised into four main learning interactions:
Free play – Child-led play where the child directs the activities.
Guided play – Child-led but with adult scaffolding. A parent/caregiver provides direction and can intervene to help prevent the child from becoming frustrated.
Games – Adults designed/scaffolded. Set rules and constraints for how a game is played, but still requires understanding and input from a child.
Direct instruction – Adult designed controlled, set rules for an activity that is teaching a child skills.

The SōZō Play system is designed to support all these playful learning interactions by providing the tools and systems required to support free play, guided play, games, and direct instruction.
However, a primary goal of this product is to provide opportunities for parents/caregivers and their parents to play together so there is a higher focus on a system that supports this outcome.

Scenario 1
Mother helps to make something the child saw/is
interested in.
Scenario 2
Father helps to repair something that they built
last weekend but has now been damaged.
Scenario 3
A caregiver takes their child on a trip to the local park/playground.

THE FINAL DESIGN

The SōZō Play system would primarily be used at home or in the backyard, however, it can also be used outdoors in areas such as playgrounds, parks, and public places.

As well as fitting into existing play spaces, the SōZō Play system can be stored within them. Consideration has been given to how the product/system will be stored and where built items are stored in play areas/bedrooms along with other toys, while unused or loose items can be combined to be easily stored out of the way or placed in the included accessories bag.

Due to the versatility of the product, it will also take to the place of several existing toy products freeing up space within a home.

The SōZō Play system is available in three size options.

– There is a small kit made up of thirty pieces, designed to make the most of anything you have laying around the home such are cardboard boxes, coffee cups or sticks.

– The medium box includes more parts (70) and three large blocks. This allows for more configuration options and gives structure to your build.

– The large kit includes more blocks and unlocks even more possibilities.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

SUMMARY

This product set out to answer the question “How can toys be designed in order to facilitate meaningful interactions between parents/caregivers and their children?”

The SōZō Play system is a flexible modular system that allows for parents/caregivers to cooperate in building different play structures, modify them using everyday items from around the home and play with their creations either in their home or outside/doors.
The system is built at a degree of complexity that necessitates parental assistance during the build/construction phase but allows children to play with the object once it has been completed.

It incorporates many elements related to early childhood development including STEAM, problem-solving skills, trial and error, emotional development, object manipulation through guided interactions, role and make believe-play, and pretend play to aid in the development of creativity and abstract thinking.
It is made from materials that can be easily recycled and encourage children to upcycle items that would usually be thrown away. It is not limited by the components that are included with the product and the possibilities for customisation are unlimited.

Name: Presentation Slides
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File Size: 2 MB
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Benjamin Hermann

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