Two in a Pod: promoting sustainability and healthy eating in children through smart gardening

Abstract

Two in a Pod is a smart toy designed to help children learn how to grow edible plants, getting to know them and sharing their progress with their friends. It is composed of a four-slot wood planter, equipped with soil sensors that interact with a mobile app. Children can plant their seeds, monitor their growth through the app, obtain points for each successfully grown plant and share pictures and their progress, from planting the seed to eating their home-grown vegetables. We designed the toy to help children learn about gardening through gamification and sharing, to increase vegetable consumption and raise awareness about sustainable eating.