Three early prototypes of sound toys for children ages 2 – 4 that can be used to explore sound as a concept they can affect, manipulate, and play with.
Childhood is about developing multiple layers of understanding of the physical world, the social world, and the personal world. Toys are part of a child’s testbed for developing their senses, parsing information from their eyes and ears. Sound is an important design feature of toys because it contributes to a child’s understanding of their environment as feedback from a direct action, as an ambient background, or a playful exploration of interaction and affordance. However, there is a lack of research on how sound is designed into toys and how it can contribute to a child’s development, listening skills and engagement with sound in their world. We have been exploring the subject of sound-based toys and how children learn to hear, perceive, and make sense of sound in their environment. We have started with three prototypes for children ages 2.5 to 4 years old that can be used to explore sound as a concept they can affect, manipulate, and play with using a mixed methods approach. Our aim is to provide more clarity about how and why children playfully interact with sound through various toys and objects in their world, and to explore novel approaches to designing sound into children’s toys.
gregcorness 