Wally The Wale

Bachelor - Year 1

This project involved designing and building a wooden toy for children that includes a functional mechanism activated through a specific action during play. Throughout this course, the focus was on learning the fundamentals of toy design, woodworking techniques, and incorporating simple mechanical systems to enhance the play experience.

The wooden toy was created for children aged 3 to 6, featuring a playful whale with a simple mechanism that moves water up and down. This encourages children to imagine underwater worlds while learning about basic movement and cause-and-effect relationships.

My goal was to craft something tactile, sturdy, and full of personality. Inspired by research into early childhood play, I designed a toy that blends craftsmanship with curiosity, fostering hands-on exploration and storytelling. The final product is a friendly wooden whale that feels safe, intuitive, and ready for adventures.

Wally the Whale is durable, environmentally friendly, suitable for imaginative play, and apparently, quite entertaining for cats.