Playing the Archive

Children’s playworlds are a complex interweaving of physical and digital dimensions, with the border areas between ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ becoming increasingly blurred. The popularity of apps like Pokémon Go and the growing use of these apps by young children suggest that mixed reality play is an expanding area. In these hybrid spaces, the distinctions between online and offline, physical and digital, real and virtual become increasingly hard to discriminate, with play moving across boundaries of space and time in new ways.

In March 2018 Kate Cowan will explore perspectives on mixed reality play through a short research visit to Denmark funded by the DigiLitEY COST Action. Linking with researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and toy designers from the LEGO toy company, this visit will focus on the newly-opened LEGO House in Billund which aims to bring together play, creativity and learning through exhibits spanning physical and digital forms.

Photos thanks to Patrick Otley and Jill Hawkins

The research visit will involve discussions with members of the LEGO design team, a seminar given at the University of Southern Denmark and a visit to the university’s partnership preschool to consider physical and virtual play in classrooms. Bringing together researchers and commercial toy designers, this collaboration will consider the possibilities and constraints of different toys and spaces for play and will investigate the liminal border-areas where physical and digital play are increasingly mixed.

Key insights will be shared through blog posts and a research report for DigiLitEY. You can follow updates from Kate on Twitter @katecowan