Sara McMillan

Play! Changing Station - Play! began as an exploration of the definition of a toy and its role during play. Playtime for a child can be compared with work for an adult. I wanted to examine how playtime and work intertwined. I chose two tasks that are not always fun, but necessary to do: changing a diaper and "picking up the floor." I wanted to create simple objects that would entice playful action during the completion of these two tasks. Both the changing table and the storage cube intend to entice a playful outlook during these “chores”, but can be enjoyed independently as well. Both objects can be arranged in a variety of patterns to create a friendly environment for child-adult interactions. I aimed for the objects to embody the open-ended actions I believe “play” embodies. In this way I hoped both objects remained “toys,” despite being objects separated from their function.