Tumble the Beaver

Toys play an important role in a child's development. They entertain and challenge the mind. They are frequently employed to teach fundamental ideas like recognizing shapes, colors, noises, etc. A toy can be uninteresting at best and harmful at worst if it is not designed properly. In the past, several toys that were "intended" for children have been taken off the market for endangering children. The difficulty in making a toy for a youngster between the ages of 3 and 5 is making it enjoyable and entirely secure. Toys for kids may be made beautifully from wood. The material is often safe and non-toxic, and doesn't include any little pieces that pose a choking hazard, but you should be careful with the finish you choose.

Goal: This project involved creating a fun and safe toy for children ages 3-5. The purpose of this project was to learn how to use and craft wood into a usable and safe product for children. The idea for the project was inspired by "The Little Learners Corner".

Tumble the Beaver is a Jenga-styled toy with a beaver theme. The wooden log act as the "Jenna" pieces. The front and back plate slides up and is removed so that multiple players can remove the logs. The goal is to remove as many logs as possible without tumbling the beaver to the ground.

Design Process
In terms of Design research and iteration, a range of concepts in sketch form (minimum of 10 concepts) was investigated. After an initial review, the concept of "Tumble the Beaver" was selected. To comprehend the shape and purpose of the selected design, it was mocked up using foam cardboard and CAD in solid works. The design of the product went through different iterations of design to design the joints and the box for the toy so it is safe for children. The changed started with regular corner joints and sharp edges. After different considerations, the final design of the joints ended up being square joints that would be held together with wood glue for extra support. A lid was also added to the design for extra support for the box. The corners of the box were slightly curved using a laser cutter so that no child would poke their eyes out. The acrylic at the front and back of the box was made to be sliding pieces. The wooden trunks were made by cutting wooden dowels of different diameters and they were carved a Dremel to make them aesthetically realistic. They were also sanded and painted with safe paint. The beaver was 3D printed.

Final Result:
The final result is shown below. The toy was a success and received many surprised and enthusiastic remarks.

Takeaways/Future considerations:
1. Use thinker wood to make the base. Many commented on how lightweight the product felt and how it might break with an excited child.
2. Add more trunks in the box so that a game lasts longer.
3. Make different sizes of the game for different numbers of players
4. Paint the inside so it looks like a river

What did I enjoy?
I loved this project. I was able to work with wood in ways I hadn't before and was also able to be creative in different aspects, such as detailing the product and aesthetic with color schemes and shapes. I think this project has taught me that there are always improvements that can be made to a design and feedback from peers and users should be heard. This was also a project that taught about how standards and policies affect design and marketability.