Playing Out with IoT

Timeframe: 2017-2019

Playing Out with IoT is an innovative two year long ESPRC-funded research project exploring how Internet of Things (IoT) technologies can be developed and extended to enable children under 9 years old to create digital outside play in their own neighbourhoods. The project responds to concerns that fewer and fewer children are playing outdoors, which is having an impact on health, well-being, personal and social development. Our research explores possible roles for IoT in outdoor play by running design activities with children.  We are also evidencing the ability of IoT to engage children meaningfully and creatively through the evaluation of resulting designs. Throughout the project, we are working with and responding to children in local communities so we can align our designs as closely as possible with their own play interests. We aim to make our work as accessible as possible by using off the shelf IoT devices alongside our own kits and guides that make use of freely available materials.