Mini Movers is a multi-use educational toy Inspired by Froebel’s Gifts for two to three-year-olds that teaches developmental skills by allowing the user to mix and match five wooden modular cars. Each car is made up of three parts: front and back upper blocks and a singular base which all attach by magnets, allowing the user to create ‘correct combinations’ or five new cars with 125 different combinations. Unlike single-function market equivalents, Mini Movers combines puzzles (number matching) with imaginative play (vehicle construction).
Problem Statement
In an era where digital devices are increasingly prevalent in children's lives, Toddlers lack physical toys with long shelf-life that bridge motor skills and cognitive learning. Existing products often isolate skills such as teaching either colors or shapes. Mini Movers bridges this gap by creating a multi-layered interaction where children must synthesize visual, numeric, and tactile cues.
Target Audience
According to CDC, children around this age bracket begin to sort shapes and colors. At this age, hand-eye coordination and motor skills become important, which can be practiced and enhanced by building exercises or sorting objects by shape and color, and engage in activities like matching.
Market Research Findings
1. Toys in this age range support gross motor skills (pushing, pulling) and fine motor coordination (grasping, stacking).
2. Most toys for this age group emphasize either free-form movement (vehicles) or structured learning (puzzles), but rarely both simultaneously.
2 X 2 Matrix of Toys
Gross-Motor
Ride-on cars
Large foam blocks
Motor Skill Demand
Shape sorters &
Matching puzzles
Small wooden blocks
Precision
Problem Solving
Open Ended Play
Cognitive Structure
Mini Movers sits in the intersection of structured cognitive feedback and open-ended physical play.
Exploded View of the convertible.
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Storyboard of how to play with Mini Movers.
MoodBoard
We analyzed the transition from simple, organic to complex, geometric forms of toys. This informed the decision to use simplified, modular forms that are easily recognizable for toddlers. By selecting natural hardwoods over high-saturation plastics, the design prioritizes durability and heirloom quality.
Making
Final Product
Usability Testing
