Piks is a creative toy designed to develop children's attention and concentration.

No doubt you've noticed how today's children are less and less focused. Surrounded by smartphones, apps and video games, there's been a quite an increase in behavioral issues.

This isn't just an idea. Since a few years ago, many studies, theories and modalities have been created to help children in this phenomenon. Practices such as meditation, concentration or therapy through play are being proposed to help our children attain a calmer, more natural state of being and to help manage their emotions. These techniques are really inspiring and we feel they should be available to all children. And this is why we decided to create Piks.

Because of the commitment to offer a toy that develops concentration skills, we decided to seek inspiration and direction from the field of education, more precisely from research on kids' concentration disorders ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Deficit). By making design researches, consulting child psychiatrists as well as child educational specialists, and by making user-testing, we were able to identity the important children's cognitive needs to increase, thanks to a simple but important fact: a playful activity.

Our strategic designs directions were based on the following goals:

• Development of attention and concentration skills

• Deepening fine motor skills

• Increasing the decision-making

• Increasing the risk-taking

• Development of self-esteem thanks to a reward and pleasure feeling

• Development of imagination and creativity

• Development of social and collaborative skills / Group Cohesion (child(ren) with child (ren) - child (ren) with adult (s))

• Increasing the creative identity expression through play

• To create a non-psychorigid and, conversely, a flexible construction tool/toy of multiple shapes and combinations

But how could we turn these principles into a fun product?

Balance, construction and active play have always been a fun activity to do. By targeting this goal, we decided to innovate the dynamic of playing with construction toys. What if we would be able to bring a new way of experimenting balance in which we could trigger kids to develop their motor skills without even realizing it?

Working is this direction; we were making researches on materials and construction techniques that can be applied on toys. After several tests, a simple technique was, by far, the most fun and interesting to work with: the magic combination of rubber cones and wooden boards. And this is how we created Piks.

And how does it work?

The aim of the Piks game is simple - to create the most original and impressive structure by positioning all of the pieces without any of it falling down. By placing the rubber cones and wooden plates on top of each other, the rubber holds the wood in place, allowing for a myriad of construction possibilities: vertical, horizontal, twisted, you name it!

By playing with Piks, children explore the intricacies of balance while decision-making; motor skills and imagination all come into play transforming the players into artists in a performance of concentration and skill.

Piks by O P P I ®

Piks is a toy that will make children develop their motor skills, their imagination as well as developing their logic abilities of construction.

"How many cones should I have under a board? Which board should I take for three cones? To build a bridge? A tower? … "

"How can I create a crocodile out of the pieces I have in front of me?"

But before achieving kids to have such interesting questions, we were having some as well. And during our design initiative, our first starting point was: Are the children able to concentrate while playing? Can we learn concentration while having fun?

Design Research : Educational Aspects

To do so, and makes children develop cognitive aspects through playing. We decided to seek inspiration and to base our design on behaviors researches and needs; and mostly on ADHD.

One of the issues ADHD kids have (as well as some children in general too) is the lack of making decision in addition of the lack of being focused on the present moment. On our strategic collaboration process - composed by product designers, child psychiatrists and educational consultants - we decided to work on this matter deeply by offering the kids the chance to explore concentration and to force them to work on their abilities to be focused on a one task without being a complicated and frustrating exercise.

We also identified that some kids have a lack of confidence during the childhood phase. Through the experience of freeplay construction, we wanted to create a toy that has almost no rules, no "winners" and no "loosers". With Piks, the construction dynamic let the children decide how the construction will be. Thanks to this freedom of playing, there are no frustration and the toy become an tool that fits all ages and challenges that kids put to themselves.

Once we identified the two main educational direction and needs, we spitted our strategic designs directions based on the following goals:

• Development of attention and concentration skills

• Deepening fine motor skills • Increasing the decision-making• Increasing the risk-taking

• Development of self-esteem thanks to a reward and pleasure feeling

• Development of imagination and creativity

• Development of social and collaborative skills / Group Cohesion (child(ren) with child (ren) - child (ren) with adult (s))

• Increasing the creative identity expression through play• To create a non-psychorigid and, conversely, a flexible construction tool/toy of multiple shapes and combinations.

Design Research : Physical Aspects

After making advancement on the educational aspects of our goals, we were able to move at the same time on the physical aspect of Piks. What shapes should be the toy and how can we make such a challenging exercise fun to kids?

Working on "trial & error" testing we found the most fun and interesting material combination to work with: the magic of rubber cones and wooden boards.

Piks' non-toxic rubber cones come in three sizes: little, medium and big ones. Multiple sizes enhance the decision-making process and playfully challenge the construction process. The cones have proportional size between them and allow many interesting construction options. The colors of the cones are the primary colors: blue, yellow and red; but they are also the representation of the degree of difficulty.

The second ingredient is a set of wooden boards, each shape providing support for different construction possibilities. Combined with the cones, some make bridges between towers, others a base, others... well, it all depends on the artist's vision!

By placing the cones and plates on top of each other, the rubber holds the wood in place, allowing for a myriad of construction possibilities.

At O P P I ®, we take playing seriously, and that is why we feel Piks isn't just a toy! This is why; we would like to explain the great educational skills and benefits for kids that Piks brings to kids:

Attention & Concentration

Thanks to the playful, original combination of rubber cones and wooden plates, Piks offers kids the chance to explore the dynamics of balance and practice concentration through a fun activity.

Motor Skills & Learning Process

During the construction process, players develop their motor skills, overcome challenges and discover their personal aptitudes. Through "trial & error" Piks gives kids the opportunity to fail and try again, learning from mistakes, learning mistakes are OK they are just part of the process.

The more children play, the better they know how to play. It builds confidence as they enjoy building and increasing their motor skills.

Risk Taking, Decision Making & Emotional Control

Piks has endless construction possibilities! Thanks to the variety of pieces and shapes, but also thanks to its versatile construction possibilities, Piks enhances educational triggers such as: decision-making, risk taking and emotional discipline. As they build, kids need to decide which pieces to take; why should they take it for the construction balance, and where should they place it. A fun exercise using real objects but mostly using the mind!

Self-Esteem, Personal Achievement/Rewards & Constructive Pleasure

But why does Piks help kids feel better? Why is it fun? Construction has always been a great activity for kids (and adults too!). Our goal in creating a construction game is to allow children to feel the power and satisfaction of achievement. Each step of the way, the players are rewarded by the balancing they've accomplished and excited by how much further they can go.

A Meditative & Fun Activity To Do

As we planned, Piks is also a mix of a fun and calm activity. Through concentration, kids enjoy creative personal time playing alone or in a group.

Imagination & Creativity

There is more! Piks is a great catalyst for imagination too. The toy set includes cards to show kids several creative possibilities they can build and how to build them. Theses cards can be used as a complete exercise or a starting point. What's important is kids get creative and build whatever they want to express or imagine: a tower, parking, castle, animals, etc.

And let's not forget FUN!

With Piks, kids also express themselves and have fun while playing. After all, one of the greatest therapeutical process is when we have fun.

Why are we inspired by education and behaviors issues?

Toys are the first objects that our kids have in their hands so they provide an immense opportunity for development through fun. Our belief is that these objects should convey important values and skills and be conceived using the best educational knowledge possible. To do this, we truly believe that collaboration between the fields of design and education is mandatory.

"Finally, one of the most exciting aspects of Piks is that it can be a toy for all children with or without ADHD. At the end, the most important is to have fun while learning and this for all of us !"

Piks for kids, for professionals and for adults too!

Since its launch, Piks is being used by educational structures such as schools, pre-schools, toy libraries, by teachers, child psychiatrist, occupational therapist, psychomotrician / psycho-motricity specialist as well as re-education center for elderly; and used by private companies for team building exercices.

Piks was launched and realized on Kickstarter in 2018