Totems of Kerala

In a world where children are constantly exposed to artificial stimulation, there is little room for them to pause and imagine with the objects around them. This, combined with a market saturated with generic, largely geometric toy blocks, leaves little space for abstract expression and culturally rooted play.The challenge was to create a set that balances cultural accuracy with simplicity for children, while ensuring engagement, durability and safety.

The project achieves this by combining geometric and culturally derived abstract forms within a single set, encouraging both imaginative, non-prescriptive play and guided play that supports intergenerational knowledge transfer.By translating cultural elements into forms that remain open-ended, intuitive, and adaptable, the blocks allow children to interpret, combine, and engage with them across different modes of play.

In a world where people are more connected yet increasingly divided, Totems of Kerala aims to foster connection, respect, and cultural understanding by encouraging an early appreciation for diversity and heritage. Through play, children engage in imagination, storytelling, and intergenerational learning, allowing them to connect with their cultural roots and extended family. Environmentally, the set uses rubberwood sourced from Kerala’s abundant supply of trees that no longer produce latex, supporting a more sustainable material cycle while maintaining a strong connection to place.

Totems of Kerala brings together a set of key features that define its approach to play, culture, and design. The set includes 24 wooden blocks that combine geometric and culturally derived abstract forms, allowing children to move fluidly between free and symbolic play. The abstraction of cultural elements ensures that the forms remain open-ended, encouraging interpretation rather than prescribing meaning.A defining feature of the system is the inclusion of prompt cards, which act as gentle cues for storytelling and interaction. These prompts support intergenerational engagement, allowing caregivers and children to co-create narratives while passing down cultural knowledge in an intuitive way.Materiality also plays a key role. The blocks are made from rubberwood sourced from trees that no longer produce latex, grounding the project in a sustainable and regionally relevant material choice.Together, these features position the blocks not as fixed objects, but as ingredients. Even though everyone has access to the same set, the outcomes are never the same. As the blocks move among children, caregivers, and different play contexts, they give rise to unique stories, meanings, and ways of understanding.