There’s been a lot of designing, printing, testing and changing things around in the workshop lately as the Pour & Play range continues to grow.
The idea behind Pour & Play is pretty simple: create play sets that encourage kids to scoop, fill, pour, mix, explore and use their imagination.
But getting from an idea to a finished set involves a lot more than simply designing a few pieces and hitting print!
Little Scientist 🧪
The Little Scientist set has been one of the most fun sets to develop.
Flasks, bottles, cups and science-inspired pieces have all gone through their own little changes as I’ve worked out what feels good to hold, what works well for pouring and scooping, and what actually makes the set fun to play with.
Sometimes something that looks perfect on the computer simply doesn’t work once it’s printed — so back to the drawing board it goes.
That’s all part of prototyping.
Then came Little Archaeologist 🦖
Little Archaeologist took Pour & Play in another direction.
Instead of mixing potions and experimenting, this set is about digging, discovering and collecting.
I wanted it to feel like a little archaeological expedition, with tools and discoveries that give kids a starting point while still leaving plenty of room for their own play.
Even the smallest pieces have been tested and changed along the way. Some ideas stayed, some were redesigned, and a few were scrapped completely when they just didn’t work the way I wanted them to.
Next up: Pumpkin Harvest 🎃
And now another Pour & Play set is beginning to take shape.
Pumpkin Harvest is bringing a completely different feel to the range, with pumpkins, warm autumn inspiration and lots of opportunities for scooping, filling and imaginative sensory play.
It’s still in development, so there will undoubtedly be more changes before the final set is ready.
That’s part of the fun.
Sometimes the best part of designing is discovering that the first idea wasn’t the best idea.
One thing I’m learning as the Pour & Play range grows is that I don’t want every set to simply be the same collection of pieces with a different theme.
Each one needs its own reason to play.
Little Scientist is about experimenting and mixing.
Little Archaeologist is about digging and discovering.
Pumpkin Harvest is about scooping, gathering and filling.
The theme changes, the pieces change and the play changes — but the simple idea behind Pour & Play stays the same:
Scoop • Fill • Pour • Play.
And there are already plenty more ideas waiting their turn in the workshop.
Build • Play • Explore.
