Habi Kids is an unforeseen theme park of learning
Habi Kids is a design-themed creative space that children can explore to learn new things.
Habi Kids is a design-themed creative space that children can explore to learn new things.
The Habi Kids Design School programme provides guided workshops for children of various ages, during which they can create a room of the future of recycled materials, decorate virtual spaces, build scale model furniture and ponder living in the future, for example.
The themes of the workshops – Look, Invent, Test and Tell – describe the phases of the design process. The Finnish Association of Design Learning SuoMu is responsible for the Habi Kids Design School concept implementation. Set at the Habitare fair in Messukeskus in September, Habi Kids is a satellite event of Helsinki Design Week.
“Themes are present in the daily programme; each day has its own theme that is addressed in the events of that day. They are also visible in the prints designed by the kids and produced by VIMMA,” says Mari Saivio of SuoMu.
Kids helped design the space and programme
In the beginning of 2017, the Messukeskus fair centre of Helsinki organized a service design workshop for kids to design the space and programme guided by SuoMu designers.
“The space and its elements have been designed together with kids, starting from colour schemes, materials and ideas,” Saivio says.
The service design workshop was inspired by its participants’ hopes and dreams and produced a large amount of enthusiastic ideas, important notes and clear themes, based on which SuoMu designed the Habi Kids space and programme. It is founded on design learning and uses design methods, such as playing, testing, empathy, observation, brainstorming and excitement.
The Habi Kids workshops are suited for kids of various ages, participating by themselves or with parents. The programme is versatile including a jungle-themed workshop with Fiskars, creating a print wall and design orienteering.
Open at the Habitare fair in Messukeskus from 13 to 17 September, Habi Kids is a satellite event of Helsinki Design Week.