An exploratory interactive concept for cognitive play in early childhood.
Whimsy World is a calm, nature-inspired interactive app designed for children aged 3–6. The app invites children to explore and build connections between animals, habitats, forest sounds, and colors using symbolic thinking and drag-and-drop play.
Rooted in cognitive development theory, especially the pre-operational stage defined by Piaget, Whimsy World acts as a playful, emotionally safe space where children can engage in visual storytelling, categorization, and self-guided exploration.
By combining modular visual elements with gentle sensory feedback, the app encourages creativity without overwhelming the user.
This is an ongoing research-led prototype that investigates how interactive visual systems and exploratory play can support early cognition and emotional regulation in children.
The design of Whimsy World is grounded in early childhood development theory, constructionist learning principles, and best practices in child-centered interaction design. This section highlights the foundational research that informed the structure, features, and interaction patterns of the prototype.
Piaget and Papert both believe that that knowledge is actively constructed by the child through her interaction with the world. In the digital era her world often becomes an ipad.
Children aged 3–6 are in the pre-operational stage of cognitive development, where they begin to use symbols to represent the world around them. Whimsy World supports this stage by allowing children to combine animal, color, sound, and habitat cards into stories, reinforcing symbolic thinking, categorization, and visual sequencing.
→ SimplyPsychology: Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
While Piaget’s constructivism suggests that children learn by mentally constructing knowledge, Papert’s constructionism emphasizes learning through making things. Whimsy World embodies this by letting children visually build scenes and stories through drag-and-drop play turning passive storytelling into active story-making.