Material Significance of Tangibles for Young Children

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how young children associate materiality and meanings and how it can benefit tangible interaction design. To study this, we developed a research prototype, Stampies, that allows playful tangible interactions. Stampies consists of tangible objects made out of different materials (wood, felt, silicone, and plastic) and an iPad drawing application. We describe results from our empirical study involving 19 children aged 4 to 7. The study indicates that children associate materials with meanings through "material essences", feel, and tactile preference. We conclude with design implications for tangible interaction for children.