Objective: Design a children's toy
Constraints: Two weeks, One 4'x4' sheet of plywood
Client: Whatcom Hills Waldorf Preschool
After observing children between the ages of 3-5 at the Whatcom Hills Waldorf preschool in Bellingham, WA, I noticed the undeniable fact that kids love to climb, on everything.
Climbing is not only natural in young children but extremely important. It is often how they learn about their environment, as well as develop spatial and directional awareness, improve coordination and strengthen motor skills.
After finalizing a design in Solidworks, a cut plan was created in Adobe illustrator for a 4’x4’ sheet of locally sourced maple plywood that would later be used to CNC the individual pieces for Peak.
After the CNC process was complete I used a table mounted router to apply a 1/4” round over to all of the edges, It was imperative that all contact points were rounded and soft for the children's safety.
The final product was donated to the Whatcom Hills Waldorf preschool in Bellingham, Washington.
It features a rope ladder made from recycled climbing rope and a more traditional stepladder functioning in a multidirectional manner. Challenging the kids to reach their peak while developing an ability to sense where their body parts are in the space around them
*Peak won the student choice award for the WWU + Mt. Baker Plywood scholarship competition.
