News Navigation
News Navigation
News Navigation
A good toy can often be recognised by the fact that children not only discover a single function, but constantly find new ways to use it. The Kullerbü car park demonstrates precisely this effect.
It is not a static object, but an open play system that combines movement, rolling, driving, sound and observation. The fact that this car park has been awarded the ToyAward is less a reference to a single detail than to the overall play concept, which has been consistently designed from the perspective of children's play. At its heart is a play world that connects different levels, paths and actions. Cars drive up, roll back down, stop, start again or change the play element. This creates a flow of play that invites children to vary the sequences and develop their own stories.
The car park forms the spatial centre of the system. Vehicles drive up via ramps, from where they drive back down or switch to other elements. A new addition is a helicopter, which complements the vertical movement and expands the play possibilities. Driving and flying are given equal importance, opening up additional play ideas. Several everyday elements are incorporated into the car park. A car wash, a petrol pump and a lifting platform take familiar situations and make them accessible through play. Children fill up their vehicles, drive them through the car wash or place them on the lifting platform. This is complemented by barriers and stop elements that deliberately interrupt the flow of traffic and allow it to restart. It is precisely these interruptions that encourage active intervention in the game.
Behind the Kullerbü system is Haba, a manufacturer that has been focusing on open play concepts for years. The car park is not a finished product, but part of a larger construction set. Ramps can be removed, rails connected and combined to form an extended network of tracks. This allows the play world to grow with the children's interests. The modular principle allows existing elements to be rearranged or supplemented. Cars not only drive through the car park, but can also roll along rails, park in between or change direction. This creates ever new play situations without having to re-explain the basic principle.
A special feature of the system are the vehicles with integrated balls. These balls are not fixed, but interchangeable. Different colours, faces and characters give the cars an individual touch. The balls can be removed from the vehicles and rolled separately along the track. Conversely, other balls can be inserted into the cars, adding further variety to the game. Some vehicles are also available without balls and are equipped with swing motors. They continue to drive independently and bring a different dynamic to the game. Switching between rolling balls and driving cars opens up different movement sequences for children and promotes an understanding of cause and effect.
Another element adds an acoustic dimension to the game. The ball track with integrated xylophone combines movement with sound. When the balls roll over the sound plates, they produce sounds that can be heard immediately. Children experience how speed, material and track design influence the sound. This combination of hearing and seeing ensures additional attention and motivation. The game is not limited to rolling, but is expanded to include the senses. The ball track functions independently of the car park, but can be integrated into the overall system.
The effect ball attracts particular attention. Inside it is a liquid with glitter particles that are visibly distributed as it rolls. This visual effect makes movement immediately tangible. The ball is not only part of the track, but can also be played with freely.
It can be rolled, observed and even used as a ball or bouncing ball. It thus leaves the track and becomes an independent play object. Children can throw it, bounce it or roll it through openings. The ball character adds a free, physical component to the play world that is not bound to rails or ramps.
The Kullerbü car park impresses not with a single effect, but with the sum of its possibilities. It combines driving, rolling, clanging and jumping into a coherent play world. Elements can be combined, exchanged or expanded without the game losing its structure.
Children decide for themselves whether to focus on the car park, the tracks, the ball track or the ball. It is precisely this openness that ensures that the game does not quickly become boring. The car park remains interesting because it can be rediscovered again and again. This balance between structure and freedom is the strength of the system, which is rightly attracting attention in the toy world.
Trade fair reporting Germany - Trade fair knowledge, dates & events
