An Exploration of Interactivity and Tangibles in Blended Play Environments

In this paper, we present a study exploring digital augmentation as an integral part of spatial experience in children’s play with physical objects. We introduce a blended play environment, a combination of digital and physical media, for enhancing children’s physical activity and play through interaction with tangibles. This play environment called Monnom, a novel digitally-enhanced physical environment, offers body-object interaction where the body frames the scene, controls and improvises the play. The prototype has been assessed in studies with 67 children (4–12 years old) in two different settings, one at a museum and the other at a school. Based on an analysis of existing designs, we highlight different play actions that children may employ, and delineate various resources for meaning making. Digital technologies for play are mostly structured, rule-bound and goal-directed virtual playgrounds. Our study expands these and suggests a set of qualities to think about interaction design for children’s play and future research.