Playing = Learning = Exploring

Ending this week with a unique idea - Explore your weekend!


Last year, UNICEF and the Dutch non-profit organisation INDEX announced a very interesting student design competition. In keeping with the UN”s target to provide primary education for all by 2015,  students from all over the world were asked to submit designs for educational equipment and services for developing countries. 115 entries were received in all, out of which an international jury selected seven finalists last week.


And at the top of that list is Akshara, a deceptively simple learn-as-you-play kit designed by Sayantani Dasgupta and Meghma Mitra from Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology.

The kit is made up of several little pieces — curlicues, dashes, strokes and dots — laser cut from MDF. These little pieces can be put together in several different ways to form letters from both the vernacular language and English alphabet, and, of course, anything else the kids can imagine up.


For example the designers say, "it is not necessary for a child to connect A to APPLE. He is free to connect A to anything he wants for example an ANT. This is the greatest freedom offered by the toy as a tool that educates as well as engenders creativity."  If you like this project you may like the Learn Chinese with Mandagrams via The Little design book