Designing Dexterity Gameplay to Impart Awareness among Children

  • Dibyendu Bikash Datta, Associate Professor Department of Fashion Management Studies, National Institute of Fashion Technology, (Ministry of Textiles, Government of India) Kolkata, West Bengal, India
  • Sanjana Ramakrishnan, Product Designer Shumee Toys, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, 560038, Karnataka, India
Keywords: imparting awareness; intuitive learning; dexterity gamification; value from play visual interaction

Abstract

Growing children, especially those aged 4 to 6, are surprisingly intuitive and impressionable. Imparting the
awareness of essential topics among children in this age group can assist in building a curiosity-driven and
aware generation. The utilization of dexterity gameplay as a medium for teaching can benefit by allowing
the children to be involved in the learning process rather than being taught directly. Solely imparting
knowledge about the crucial matter through games would not be sufficient to reach the masses. The concept
of developmental play has become a key contributor to the toys and games industry over the last few years.
With the newfound requirement for indulging indoor play, there is great potential for products that assist in
fine motor development, giving us the avenue to teach through play. For this paper, the implications would
be tested through the design and development of an economic dexterity board game that imparts awareness
of endangered native animals of India. Through this paper, we can look at the learning stages of children in
this age group and understand ways to promote understanding and awareness among children at their own
pace by designing a dexterity game that imparts learning while ensuring a playful experience. The research
entails the target age group's key milestones in learning, followed by proposing a design for developing a
suitable and economical dexterity game solution that would help venture into the arena to target the
statement at its core.

Published
2024-03-19