Digital + Physical: Rethinking the Playground

The increasing presence of digital play experiences has become an undeniable part of many childrenâ s lives. These digital experiences have begun to rival traditional physical play. Even with the introduction of the Nintendo Wii digital and physical rarely cross paths. This masters thesis investigates the design of a play experience that embraces digital experience through the combination of handheld wireless technology and playground experiences. The combination of these elements aims to create a play experience that provides the physical and imaginative aspects of traditional play while utilizing the personal, communication, social, competitive, and graphical informational properties of wireless handheld devices. This thesis documents the research, conceptualization and final development of the Funky Bars and Whirly Bird playground pieces.