Bumdada
Toy concept that bridges the gap between play, music therapy, and family bonding.
About the project
Bumdada is a toy concept I developed during my master’s studies. The brief established the product had to be a universal toy, which meant it had to be addressed to help a disability yet being attractive for a broader market.
Bumdada seeks to bridge the gap between play, music therapy, and family bonding. It’s designed to create inclusive and joyful experiences for children with Sensory Processing Disorder, but it’s a game that everyone can enjoy. It is designed to be a tool for music therapists to enhance their sessions and families seeking to create unforgettable memories while fostering essential life skills.
Context
Oftentimes Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is associated with different Neuro developmental disorders (NDD), such as autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, cerebral palsy, among others.
SPD occurs when the brain processes sensory messages in an inefficient way. People with the disorder may have difficulty in responding to everyday sensations, manifesting unusual responses to tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive sensations (touch, being moved, move).
RESEARCH
For this project, I began exploring various treatments for SPD and found music therapy to be particularly relevant. According to Mayer-Benarous et al. (2021) children with NDD require therapeutic interventions with different approaches to promote cognitive skills and autonomy.
Music therapy has proven to be effective to address different challenges in children with sensory processing disorders. This kind of therapy “is regarded as a way of promoting preverbal communication through the improvement of joint attention, motor imitation, and ultimately synchronous rhythm. Music therapy has also been used to enhance some cognitive functions, such as attention or memory”.
Benefits of music therapy
Team work
Attention
focus
Memory
Choice making
Turn taking
Communication skills
Gross motor skills
User observation
Imperatives
What’s in the market
TOY CONCEPT
The Bumdada is a multiplayer game that brings families and friends together. It encourages teamwork, cooperation, and social interaction, making it perfect for group play. For music therapists, the Bumdada is a dream come true. It’s easy to carry, allowing therapists to take it wherever it’s needed to enhance therapy sessions.
Customizable play:
The Bumdada is a multiplayer game that brings families and friends together. It encourages teamwork, cooperation, and social interaction, making it perfect for group play. For music therapists, the Bumdada is a dream come true. It’s easy to carry, allowing therapists to take it wherever it’s needed to enhance therapy sessions.
Sensorial play:
With lights, sounds, and different materials, the Bumdada engages multiple senses, making it a sensorial wonderland for children. They can use their hands, drumsticks, or mallets to explore and create.
Skill development:
Through play, the Bumdada fosters a wide range of skills, including teamwork, attention, focus, memory, decision-making, turn-taking, communication, and gross motor skills. It’s an educational powerhouse disguised as pure fun!
Infinite possibilities:
The Bumdada’s unique design allows therapists to adapt it to each child’s needs. Whether playing with one pad or all four, therapists can tailor the experience to support a child’s progress.
Playmode examples
1
Rythmic pattern imitation by turns
2
Sound and color memory
3
Guess the sound
4
Word learning along rythmic songs
5
Simon says with sound/light patterns
6
Mimicking a leading player (therapist)
7
Master a rythmic sequence
8
Play the right sound when instructed
9
Band imode, each pad represents an instrument, and Bumdada signals when each should play.
10
Animal sounds and learning basic sounds for speech
