Principle 6

Create a balanced environment

“Give me more time to play, allow me to use my time to play.”
(Olympia and Kostis, 9 and 10 years old, Greece)

  • When designing a product or service, consider different moods, views and contexts of play.
  • Offer some breathing space. Foster interactive as well as passive time. Encourage children to have breaks. Consider the use of offline, social, in-person and tactile experiences.
  • Make it easy for children and their care givers to set limits. Help develop and transform those limits as appropriate for the child’s developmental journey.

Links to the UN Rights of the Child:
The Right to Development, The Right to Learn & The Right to Leisure and Play

❮ Principle 5
❯ Principle 7
RESOURCES: Design for Play & Learning

Here you can find selected resources to learn more about designing for play and learning.

Evolutionary Playwork (book, 2011)
Playful by Design (pdf)
Children, Technology and Play (pdf)
Exploring Play and Creativity in Pre-Schoolers’ Use of Apps: Media Industry Guide (pdf)
Young Children Playing and Learning in a Digital Age (book, 2018)
Framing Play Design (book, 2020)
ToP – Test of Playfulness (pdf)

D4CR principles
Design for Inclusion

1. Gather and respect children’s views
2. Everyone can use
3. Use communication children can understand

Design for Play & Learning

4. Allow and support exploration
5. Encourage children to play with others
6. Create a balanced environment

Design for Safety & Sustainability

7. Keep children safe and protected
8. Do not misuse children’s data
9. Help children recognise and understand commercial activities
10. Design for future