How can we use technology to reconnect children with nature and inspire a new generation of eco-conscious innovators?
Children in cities spend less time outdoors, losing valuable connections with nature and real-world learning. As digital experiences take up more of their time, the challenge is to transform technology into a bridge back to the environment.
Boomsi is a phygital toy for children aged 7+ that combines a real planter with an interactive AI-powered AR app, making it a fun andengaging way to connect with nature.
Permaculture =
"permanent" + "agriculture".
Working (playing) with nature, not against it.
Physical Component:
A real planter with a cute design that acts as a mini greenhouse, creating a protective microclimate for seedlings. Kids care for their plant-pet by watering it, placing it in sunlight, and watching it grow. Once it's ready, the app tells them when to plant it in soil!
Boomsi is transparent. That is to help know when it is in ideal conditions to grow, and gives you an idea of when to change it to a warmer or cooler place.
Once the plant has grow enough it is ready to be carefully transplanted: the app will interactively guide the process. A new seed will be willing to grow! :)
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”–said Albert Einstein.
Digital Component:
The AI-powered app tracks plant health, gives real-time care tips, and uses AR to unlock rewards, complete eco-missions, and customize a virtual garden—turning sustainability learning into a game!
Boomsi transforms passive screen time into hands-on learning, making sustainability education fun, engaging, and meaningful.
Boomsi has evolved along with my growth as a designer and has been nourished by my experiences and reflections as a human who eats. (This experiment started as a drawing on a page eight years ago and is still ongoing.)
"It takes a village to raise a child." —African Proverb
The future is not written and depends on our ability to imagine and design new systems that help us thrive in balance with the world around us.Design is not just to solve practical problems; it’s to inspire, tell stories, and project possible futures. That’s where the real magic of what we do as designers lies.
