Toys To Think With

We are adding digital capabilities to the traditional toys of childhood-and, in the process, redefining how and what children learn. For example, we are developing "programmable beads" that communicate with neighboring beads along a string. Put these beads together in different ways and you get different dynamic patterns of light. When children play with traditional toys (such as beads, blocks, and balls), they gain an understanding of concepts such as number, size, and shape. With our new digital versions of these toys, children can learn concepts (such as process, probability, and communication) that were previously seen as too complex for children.

MPEG video of the beads