fidg·et /ˈfijit/

noun: fidget; plural noun: fidgets

1. a quick, small movement, typically a repeated one, caused by nervousness or impatience.

Background: Fidgeting itself has been around for ages. Humans are hard-wired for self-regulation enacted through tangible, tactile sensory experiences.These mind-body mechanisms are initiated with specific objects with at least two key qualities: a distinct tactile experience and an ease in repeating that stimulation (Dr. Michael Karlesky, UC Santa Cruz). 

Prompt: As a one day exercise, you will work in pairs to prototype fidget devices for children. Your prototypes should consider the following goals:

• Provide children with early tactile learning experiences, enhancing mind hand coordination
• Promote acute muscular mobility through repetitive motion and blood circulation
• Allow opportunities for individual and collaborative movement and game 
• Disperse nervous energy or anxiety 
• Design portable, compact hand toy that can be carried everywhere conveniently

Instructions:

1. Research up to 2 precedents that open up more options to reconsider a tactile fidget toy.
2. Sketch out 3 different ideas for your prototypes, keeping in mind the prompt goals.
3. Get feedback from your peers and coaches before jumping into low-fidelity prototyping.
4. If you have time, iterate on your designs to hone in on specific elements that can enhance the current model.
5. Document all your work (including precedents and sketches) and upload to the Response tab of this assignment by EOD.

Our group made a rocking chair that is designed to help children ages 3-6 with motor skill development. It is a multifunctional piece that will not only be a chair but a play toy as well. 

Our goal was to make furniture for the Montessori school that was multi-funcational and also able to cater to different age groups. All the furniture needed to be made directly for children and the children needed to be able to move the furniture by themselves. 

This project is important because a child should learn both mentally and physically. When learning about the Montessori teaching method, we saw a lot about movement. The children were encouraged to get up, play, and travel around the classroom. We also saw a lot about self-awareness. Our design’s rocking motion is recreational, but it also can help a child be aware of their body.  As the child plays on the chair, they are learning to balance and navigate their surroundings. 

AquaCycle Maze: a toy maze that teaches children, ages 4-8, about the process of recycling and the impacts of man-made waste on the earth. This game coaches children in hand-eye coordination, navigation, patience, and problem-solving skills.

Each year humans dump around 17.6 billion pounds of plastic waste into our oceans. It is estimated that by 2050 ocean plastic will outweigh all of the ocean's fish. Due to these alarming statistics, it is anticipated that the job of ocean recycling will flourish in the future. The AquaCycle not only teaches kids about the positive contributions that can be done to change our trash-filled oceans but also familiarizes them with the job of ocean recycling; it has six sides with six different categories. One side is the trash pick-up place in which the user of the toy will start the maze on this side and bring the trash to other mazes. Four of the sides consist of different recycling stations that show the specific processes of recycling materials such as aluminum, glass, plastic bottles/containers, and paper. Lastly, the final side is another portal that leads back into the ocean. This last side is intended to show that some waste is not recyclable and will, unfortunately, remain in our oceans forever. The toy is played with by going through each maze and distributing the trash to its equivalent recycling. 

As a group, please come up with a detailed (and clearly labeled) storyboard that shows how your group's Studio Play prototypes are supposed to work under ideal conditions. Use the storyboard format to give us a lively demo of your work, filled with happy children engaged in educative play!

Be sure to include the following:

• How do you imagine children will be drawn to your play structure? In what ways will children approach your design? Try to imagine the context & lay out the scene or environment in your storyboard frames. 
• Make sure each storyboard frame includes quick, succinct descriptions of your device in use and that each frame that clearly explains what is happening therein. 
• How does your design promote free-thinking, healthy socializing, and fun for your student clients? Make sure you demonstrate each of the three kinds of play at least once in your storyboard. 

Tips:

• Think pictorially. Use the storyboard to help you visually communicate the many uses you have imagined for your design(s). 
• Look at the demonstration in the resource tab to help you flesh out the visual story of your design. 

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