Leaper
Joycelin Lau • Fall 2022 • Teaching Toy ProjectLeaper is the color mat that teaches and helps kids (aged 3–6) practice colors, direction-following, memory, and other skills through its various game modes. Kids aged 3 start to recognize and name colors, and kids age 4 start learning about color mixing and color theory. This active play mat allows children to participate with their parents through a smart phone app as well.
How Do Kids Learn?
It has been proven that learning through play is beneficial to the development of children.
Color Naming
Children start naming colors at age 3 and Leaper is a mat that helps them practice the identification of colors!
Color Theory
By age 4, children start to learn more complex ideas such as color groups, shades, and color mixing. Leaper grows with children and teaches them color mixing through its secondary color mat.
Looking at Leaper
Leaper is made of 3 layers—a base, light panels, and top surface. The base and topmost surface are made from a polyester-cotton fabric blend. The light panels are made from flexible LED panels.
How We Got Here
Inspired by the shape of a paint tray, I thought of a lily pad as a fun shape for kids to interact with—and to jump on! I also looked at various fabrics and made a sketch model before scaling it up.
Parent Involvement
It's also important for parents to play with their children. This helps child development and creates bonds.
We Created An App
Leaper can be paired to an app to let parents choose colors and game modes to challenge and play with their children. For example, the memory game mode allows parents to choose colors in an order, and have their kids jump on the colors in that same order! Parents are also able to "mix" colors to strengthen their children's knowledge of secondary colors.
How Does It Work?
This storyboard illustrates how a child plays with Leaper! There are multiple ways to interact with this color mat.
Product Testing
Although access to a user group for user testing was limited, I was able to have two children ages 3 and 6 to play with Leaper. They were engaged and interested. The kids said they had fun while we were playing games that involved identifying the colors and jumping to them.
