The dancing Whale.
Dancing whale is a stuff toy for kids with down syndrome. Studies show that children with down syndrome are reluctant to playing with toys with light or excess movement as down syndrome can cause development disfunctions and deficits in pattern integration and cognitive abilities.
So the Dancing whale is a soft toy with blue wave light patterns which are smooth lighting not harsh lighting, which will light up in waves and make the toy seem soothing compared to other lighting toys in the market.
Here as some reference sketches
To Implement this I bought my basic fabric and also started researching on stitching patterns.
Though i don’t have a circuit in place yet i did experiment with LED Buld lighting which will not work for my toy, so i will need to use LED Strip or other forms of lighting – ordered LED Light on amazon.
My main concerns with building the to are –
1. Matching the Fabric and light hues
2. Whether to use transparent tubing or smoky tubing
3. Making sure that the tube is not popping out of the toy and sits within the spectrum of the fabric
4. How to stich the tail.
To ideate I did some online search and here are the references :
Apart from the Dancing whale, I also ideated on Mr. WAI and Stretchy feet.
Mr. WAI – Mr. Who am I, Is a toy intended for toddlers especially in preschool. It can be worn as an everyday tag and lights up to the color you want. The color specifies which identity the toddler wants to take up for the day.
Whereas, Stretchy feet is a toy for babies which helps them stretch their legs away from their body.
I really like this whale idea, it will be super helpful for kids
love the little inclusion that the wale is peacefully sleeping as well. Adds a real element to the feeling of the purpose.
Love the idea! I would suggest that you might need to plan ahead as it might seem a bit complicated to sew.
Love the idea!! Very excited to see your final prototype! Just curious about the size of the whale you’re going to be making. Is it a small version or a large version, love it either way.
I love the dancing whale idea. It could also possibly help people who have trouble sleeping.
The whale is super cool. Maybe try using a led strip light. It will help diffuse the light and possibly give the effect of the whale being under water.
I love how well thought out this is, even though it’s very ambitious I think it’s definitely doable. As with all aquatic animals I do wonder how you’re going to approach the appendages like the tail fins?
Looks really calming and interesting fact about children with down syndrome. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Seems like you have a good idea where you’re going with this! My idea for a cool photo would be to have this hang from the ceiling if you end up making the whale look like its jumping out of the water!