The Magic Box and Collage: Responding to the challenge of distributed intergenerational play

This paper explores playfulness between grandparents and grandchildren, especially when they are separated by distance, and investigates ideas to bridge this separation. We present the result of a three stage investigation; the first an observational study of collocated intergenerational play groups, the second a cultural probes study of distributed intergenerational playfulness, and finally a technology probe study of a system for mediating intergenerational play across distance. In each case we discuss the nature of intergenerational play, the methodological issues, and explore opportunities for technological innovation through the ‘Collage’. We argue that existing knowledge concerning the nature of support for the young-or-older users engaged in instrumental activities are inadequate when we wish to build understanding of and design for young-and-older users, engaged in collective playfulness.