Leveling Out The Left Field: Toy Design for Left-Handed Children

Abstract

The world is designed for right-handers: starting from a young age, left-handed children are being stimulated from a right-handed perspective, including through their interactions with toys, tools, interior design, sports, and more. While left-handers may be able to adapt to certain right-handed tools, it is important to design for left-handers in several realms, including toys, since children are developing fine motor skills as they play. Furthermore, a child’s environment influences hand preference, so it is viable to design in such a way that stimulates the use and development of their dominant hand. This thesis explores how and why handedness should be addressed in toy design, culminating with a prototype of a diagnostic toy that assists in identifying handedness preferences while also targeting play with a specific hand through environmental bias and bilateral coordination.