Lanterns were designed to inspire new forms of free play outdoors for young children. The project involved working with a local community centre to understand how children preferred to play, followed by the co-design of playful interactions using off-the-shelf Internet of Things toolkits. These early explorations informed subsequent work with a Montessori nursery that prioritised outdoor free play.
Children at the nursery had access to both a garden and a nearby woodland, where they were given considerable freedom to play and learn. Design decisions focused on supporting physical activity, engagement with outdoor environments, and interaction with other children. This led to the development of shared interactions in which multiple Lanterns responded to one another, encouraging collective play.
The Lanterns were constructed using BBC micro:bit microcontrollers alongside everyday materials such as cardboard and milk cartons. This material approach was intended to support adaptation and reproduction by community groups and nurseries, positioning the Lanterns as a digital resource that could be configured locally rather than a fixed product.