Kids have been home since March and although it has just been a couple of months, it feels like years for parents as they juggle work from home with school from home! As we all adjust to the new normal, we are also swallowing the hard pill that schools may not reopen for the rest of the year. Even if they do, it will only be part-time so children will still be home for the majority of the time. To make adjusting easier for both parents and the kids, Rosan Bosch, a Danish designer has collaborated with the innovative furniture maker Stykka to give us Wonder DIY – a set of simple cardboard kits that encourage learning as well as provide functional usage.
Wonder DIY has four different kits that come with cardboard elements that allow your child to create their own learning landscape. As they make their own ‘desks’, it gives them a sense of owning their space and creating a physical learning environment outside of school. Children can learn and be entertained as they build, re-build, and re-invent their learning space – playfulness and purpose make the core of these kits! “Adults are not the only ones who feel like their lives are out of control because of the coronavirus,” says Bosch. “Children are feeling it as well. These kits are designed to empower them and make them feel in control of their environment on some level.”
The design equips the child to continue active learning through curiosity and creativity – the modular nature of the boards let them build their own study-play area and the blank cardboard also serves as a canvas for art projects. The four models are SUN, CAVE, ISLAND, and TREE. The SUN is a theater setup for kids to practice their presentation skills and the CAVE lets them concentrate and reflect in an ‘open cave’ that transforms into a hiding place when a blanket is draped on top (I can imagine some adults really liking this one too!). ISLAND has one of the most practical functions as it offers a table and exhibition wall that provides a surface to study and be creative while TREE lets them showcase ideas and sit under a ‘tree’ – alone in concentration, or together in collaboration.
Recycled cardboard was chosen as it is affordable, easy to assemble/disassemble, lightweight, and durable for children to work with. All sets are made to be modular and flexible to maximize creativity. “We have developed a practice with six principles to guide the design of learning environments for the 21st century. Wonder DIY is based on these design principles that empower children to reflect on and plan their own learning journey,” says the team. Everyone is a natural born creative thinker, all they need are the right tools to make wonderful things happen!
Designers: Rosan Bosch Studio and Stykka
