Where Does Inequality Start?
A gender bias already occurs by the time children reach preschool, at the age of four or five.
Therefore, it is vital to target play behaviour before that age, resulting in our target age range of one to five-year old children.
A toy subscription
for equal play
The demand for subscription boxes has grown phenomenally over the past deade and is expected to rise further, including the kids activity box market. A curated monthly selection saves parents time on research and keeps kids interested with new toys.
By providing a selection based on a non-gendered categorisation system and guiding play scenarios our solution fosters unbiased play in a formative stage of child development.
Service Model
The critical actions we focus on are choosing a toy and choosing a play scenario. These form the basis for the activity and are where a gender bias is most likely to occur. The included guide and play scenario should prompt the adult to reconsider the play activity, orienting them towards more unbiased play.
Considering that there are large jumps in development at such a young age, the design solution will offer different age-based tiers. Before the age of two, children start to have symbolic thoughts and need games supporting cognition, whereas from the age of two, they develop object permanence and can store mental images that they are able to recall even years later.
Providing Guidance
The website of playtive would not only be a place to order and manage the subscription service but also provide more information on the playing scenarios and toy selection of the month, including explanation of the non-gendered categories.
