In 2019, I completed a Masters of Design Research, focusing on engaging children in conversations about the climate crisis. This coincided with the school climate strikes, highlighting the urgency of involving children in discussions about their future and the climate crisis. To make complex issues more accessible, I explored the role of play and created two games that allowed participants to actively shape their vision of the future. Through these games, children could explore climate futures and generate new knowledge, making the conversation about climate change both engaging and educational.

Held at the Queensland Academy of Science, Mathematics, and Technology, the Play To Adapt Workshop set a challenge for students to develop an adaptation strategy for their city in response to future climate impacts. By using the three different blocks (climate blocks, Impact blocks and adaptation blocks) the students would explore climate impacts and potential adaptation startegies by putting the blocks together. The more the students explored, the more connections were made.

The Design Away Carbon challenge is a participatory game focused on incremental adaptation to reduce the carbon emissions of a fictitious city. This game was held at the Future BNE Challenge during World Science Festival held at Brisbane City Hall in collaboration with Relative Creative and Brisbane City Council. The Future BNE Challenge is Australia’s largest one-day educational event with over 650 grade seven students participating in a future-orientated, design challenge. Before the main event, over 200 students played the Design Away Carbon challenge where teams of 10 rapidly created visions of low carbon futures.