VRIJ-spel

A loose part game box

Together with the residents and children, we explored their favorite games: which ones were new to us, which ones turned out to be universal, and which ones we ended up inventing together…

With the play boxes we designed, we aim to provide tools to exchange this living heritage through play. The boxes invite children to play games they already know, while also encouraging them to use their imagination to invent entirely new games, rules, and playful ways of interacting.

But these boxes are more than just toys: they offer children the chance to become true playmakers—to design their own space, shape their own world, and rediscover moments of joy and creativity in a temporary environment.

Together with the children and residents of the Fedasil Arrival Centre in Brussels, we created unfolding play boxes—portable sets filled with carefully designed loose-parts play materials. These boxes can be opened anywhere, instantly transforming the surroundings into a place for play.

The Klein Kasteeltje (Fedasil Arrival Centre) is a place where many cultures come together, and where the need for play is strongly felt—both for children and adults.

Play is a universal language, passed on from generation to generation. Inspired by artist Francis Alÿs, who documented children’s games around the world, we wanted to show how play can serve as a bridge between different generations and backgrounds.

PARTICIPATORY DESIGN

Together with the residents and children, we explored their favorite games: which ones were new to us, which ones turned out to be universal, and which ones we ended up inventing together…

OPEN SOURCE GUIDE

Each box comes with an inspiration guide to help spark new forms of play. Sometimes, all children need is a gentle nudge—play prompts that can reawaken their imagination when they feel a little lost.