The Pod
Children’s creativity and curiosity are ignited in The Pod!
Bundanon Collaboration – 22 July to 16 August, 2024
The Pod has been transformed with captivating digital content as part of our exciting collaboration with Bundanon on place-based arts experiences. Immerse yourself in images and sounds, exploring your response to landscapes through hands-on play opportunities with loose parts!
Learn through play
The Pod is an unstructured, open-ended, non-defined play context where children and their adults digitally access new experiences alongside manipulable resources and materials for rich and diverse play experiences. Children’s curiosity is activated through access to loose parts that encourage them to rearrange, redesign and tinker, all whilst being inspired by carefully curated digital content projected across every surface of this expansive space!
Backed by research
The Pod is informed by researchers in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child alongside Early Start researchers with expertise in play, specifically loose parts play.
The Pod affords children with agency; the freedom to create play experiences based on their ideas and goals, rather than predetermined built environments. In partnership with their adults, children will respond to both digital and physical resources available to them to rearrange, redesign and tinker to develop both physical and cognitive capabilities.
Non-prescriptive play environments like The Pod have been shown to provide opportunities for children to develop positive social behaviours, improve problem-solving skills, develop verbal and non-verbal communication, build confidence and develop resilience.
There is a complex relationship between on-screen and off-screen play. Children seem to be able to move between the two contexts when there is opportunity for connection. Their ability to play imaginatively are bound within the parameters of the design of digital content. Children need opportunities to engage with digital technologies where they take from the digital to direct the outcome of the experience, have control over the how they access the technology, and make real life connections.
Plan Your Visit
Ready to explore more than 15 experiences? Plan your visit now to get the most out of your trip to Early Start Discovery Space.
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Become a member & save
Become a sponsor by donating to fund new research and experiences
We love collaborating with groups who share our passion for play. You can become a sponsor today or work with us to create a whole new experience.
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