Parents and guardians need to guide children to use smartphones responsibly, establish limits, and ensure a healthy balance between screen time and other activities. Discovery Kids collaborated with Loft to create a phone that goes beyond expectations and ignites curiosity while sparking children’s imaginations.
Industrial Design
Challenge
It is important to tailor both the design and content of educational toys to different age ranges. Toys for younger kids should have simple interfaces, like large buttons or tactile zones. In contrast, older children might enjoy toys with more intricate features. These toys must blend fun and learning by offering interactive and captivating experiences that foster creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
Solution
Discovery Kids and Loft have crafted a toy that is both fun and easy to use for children aged 3+. The Play and Learn Starter Smartphone is packed with educational content about colors, numbers, and animals, plus music, ringtones, and quizzes to enhance learning. The toy also includes a removable silicone case with a wrist lanyard and sensory fidget popper, helping kids develop fine motor skills.
Outcome
By offering hands-on experiences and interactive play, the Discovery Kids' Play and Learn Starter Smartphone fosters a sense of wonder and encourages children to engage in age-appropriate play patterns. The quizzes and games allow kids to explore and learn at their own pace, without cognitive overload.
A haptic and engaging experience
Combining the play-and-learn starter phone with a fidget popper case gives kids multiple engaging play patterns. Children can learn colors, numbers, and names while emulating the use of smartphones.
Toys as learning tools
By providing a playful and controlled environment, toys like this can serve as educational tools while introducing children to technology in a structured and beneficial way.