Research
The project began with a play study of children ages 2–7. 75% of caregivers in the study described children mimicking adult routines they'd seen on social media, and 38% of the children observed used social media despite age restrictions. Tactile, open-ended play was declining as that exposure rose.
Design
Nature's Nook is an interlocking block system: two-tone wooden pieces, dyed with natural pigments and cut from reclaimed scraps, sized for small hands and loose enough to be reassembled into different forms rather than one fixed toy.
Testing
Finished pieces were tested in play sessions with children and caregivers, observing how far the blocks were taken from their original configuration: a sign of open-ended, imaginative use rather than a single scripted play pattern.
