From Flat Shapes to Penguins: A Designer’s Workshop
Preschool
April 22, 2017
On April 21, industrial designer Naoki Kawamoto, known to the children as Naoji-sensei, led a workshop.
We had kept both the visitor and activity a surprise. The children waited eagerly, wondering who was coming and what they would do.
His friendly introduction as Naoji-sensei immediately caught their interest.
He showed an unusually shaped sheet of cardboard and asked what it looked like. The children freely shared their impressions: a frog, a dinosaur, something mysterious or even a little frightening.
Then he began assembling it. Using a hot-glue gun, he transformed the flat sheet into a three-dimensional object. The children enjoyed watching it change, suggesting that it looked like a house or a bird along the way.
The finished shape was a penguin! The children happily touched their new creation.
The two-year-old class joined the three-year-olds partway through, and everyone decorated the penguins by gluing small squares of colored paper onto their bodies. Working with concentration, they completed four colorful penguins.
We finished with a photograph together with Naoji-sensei.
The idea of changing a flat shape into a three-dimensional form may have been a little challenging for two- and three-year-olds. Still, anticipating the result, creating something together and learning from someone other than their familiar teachers were valuable experiences.
We also saw the three-year-olds trying to set a good example and show consideration for the younger children, making us look forward to more shared activities.
Designer Naoki Kawamoto
At the time of this article: industrial designer and representative of N and R Foldings Japan.
Born in Hiroshima in 1980, he studied environmental design in Tokyo, then moved to London and earned master’s degrees in industrial design engineering at two universities. Following freelance work, he took part in projects with artists and companies in Japan and overseas.
N and R Foldings Japan
The linked article covers his appearance with actor Anne at “Re-Birth in Ginza,” an event exploring new encounters and discoveries through home-appliance recycling.
Anne at METoA Ginza’s First Anniversary Event: How a Growing Family Changed Her Perspective
We had kept both the visitor and activity a surprise. The children waited eagerly, wondering who was coming and what they would do.
His friendly introduction as Naoji-sensei immediately caught their interest.
He showed an unusually shaped sheet of cardboard and asked what it looked like. The children freely shared their impressions: a frog, a dinosaur, something mysterious or even a little frightening.
Then he began assembling it. Using a hot-glue gun, he transformed the flat sheet into a three-dimensional object. The children enjoyed watching it change, suggesting that it looked like a house or a bird along the way.
The finished shape was a penguin! The children happily touched their new creation.
The two-year-old class joined the three-year-olds partway through, and everyone decorated the penguins by gluing small squares of colored paper onto their bodies. Working with concentration, they completed four colorful penguins.
We finished with a photograph together with Naoji-sensei.
The idea of changing a flat shape into a three-dimensional form may have been a little challenging for two- and three-year-olds. Still, anticipating the result, creating something together and learning from someone other than their familiar teachers were valuable experiences.
We also saw the three-year-olds trying to set a good example and show consideration for the younger children, making us look forward to more shared activities.
Designer Naoki Kawamoto
At the time of this article: industrial designer and representative of N and R Foldings Japan.
Born in Hiroshima in 1980, he studied environmental design in Tokyo, then moved to London and earned master’s degrees in industrial design engineering at two universities. Following freelance work, he took part in projects with artists and companies in Japan and overseas.
N and R Foldings Japan
The linked article covers his appearance with actor Anne at “Re-Birth in Ginza,” an event exploring new encounters and discoveries through home-appliance recycling.
Anne at METoA Ginza’s First Anniversary Event: How a Growing Family Changed Her Perspective