Utveckling av lekfordon för förskolans utomhusmiljö: Hur de kan designas för att stimulera ett lekfullt lärande

Abstract

Previously, the entrepreneurial company Palacon has developed a concept of a toy excavator with a focus on giving it an identity of real heavy construction equipment. The goal of this project was to explore opportunities regarding the development of a similar product for a preschool environment, based on Palacon’s excavator. The project was performed through the consulting company Veprox. A prestudy was performed by starting with a literature study which examined the curriculum of preschools, rules about toys, and how children learn. Furthermore, four observations on preschools, interviews with preschool teachers and a market research conducted on today’s toys and heavy construction equipment were performed. The prestudy showed that children appreciate playing together, that they should develop motor skills, communication and teamwork skills, and that they use their imagination and creativity when playing. Therefore, it was decided that the toy concept should have a neutral shape instead of expressing real heavy construction equipment. All requirements and desired functions were compiled into a requirement specification and a functional analysis, which was modified as the project progressed. Brainstorming, analysis and elimination were carried out iteratively during the project. When evaluating, the concepts were compared to the requirement specification and the functional analysis to ensure that the requirements were met. The final concept consists of three ride on car modules: a one-seated, a two-seated and a hollow module. The hollow module has two wheels to ensure that a child can not ride the car without the possibility of braking. The shapes of the modules are made of blown polyethylene and the substructure is constructed out of steel. To enable changeable play, the modules can be interconnected, seated in two directions and have holes both in the front and in the back where additional modules can be attached. The three additional modules are excavator module, push module and lift module, which are mounted on a steel pipe and can be attached to the vehicles. The variability of the modules and the abstract shapes contribute to the stimulation of creativity, team-work, motor skills and imagination.