A occhi chiusi is a collection of inclusive games designed to be played without sight, a research journey into the educational power of the senses and new possibilities for multisensory learning.
A occhi chiusi
Didactical Project - Undergraduate Course in Product Design - IED Roma
Academic year
2023/2024
A occhi chiusi ("With closed eyes") was developed within the Product Design program at IED Roma as a project dedicated to Design for Children and to sensory experimentation in play and learning. Guided by Designer and lecturer Mauro Del Santo and with contributions from visually impaired Designer and Artist Lucilla D’Antilio, the students designed a series of blindfold-play games meant to stimulate touch, hearing, movement, and perceptual memory.
The project stems from a reflection on current educational models, which tend to prioritize sight over all other senses. In contrast, A occhi chiusi proposes a playful approach that values diverse abilities and includes children with different ways of learning. Each prototype explores a specific sensory dimension: shapes, textures, weights, sounds, spatial relationships and rhythms become tools to expand the experience, foster autonomy, and encourage discovery.
The design process developed through research activities, testing, physical models and sessions with professionals from the educational and museum sectors, including the MUSE - Museo delle Scienze in Trento. The result is a collection of games that merges design experimentation with pedagogical intention, inviting the public to play firsthand, literally “with their eyes closed.”
Projects by
Daniele Abbati, Riccardo Amore, Giulia Azioneti, Lorenzo Benetti, Fabio Caricato, Sofia Di Furio, Francesca Gallace, Ester Maria Guazzerotti, Paola Hofmann, Alessandro Malaspina, Lara Mucci, Ludovico Muratori, Francesco Poletto, Federico Vicario, Giovanni Zimatore
Block Match
A block-matching system based on unique interlocking shapes. Each block has a corresponding partner with a perfectly matching surface. Shapes begin simple and grow more complex across difficulty levels. The game develops logical–mathematical skills for middle- and high-school students. Once the pairs are found, blocks can be stacked to display progress.
Tug Tag
Large clips with small bells are attached to the players’ backs. The goal is to grab the opponent’s clip first, sharpening hearing and relying on spatial awareness rather than sight.
Barefoot
A sensory game that improves focus and coordination between movement and cognition. Suitable for various age groups, it relies on intuition and tactile memory. The path is made of different modules, each with its own raised shape, and must be walked blindfolded. Players then reproduce the sequence on a board using matching tactile pieces.
Mani di Mare
A tactile adventure that challenges players to save the ocean from waste and rescue its creatures. Each player wears a blindfold and places their hands inside a box where marine animals are hidden among plastic debris. The goal is to clean the sea without disturbing the animals in their natural environment.
Bendadi
A game in which players use eight dice to create ever-new and original stories, thanks to the many possible combinations. Each die offers different narrative cues and prompts, encouraging imagination. Touch — often the least-used sense in our daily lives — becomes essential, inviting players to rely on it to play, succeed, and perceive things from a different perspective.
All in Five
Five shapes designed to learn the alphabet and invent new symbols through imagination and play. These modular forms can generate all the letters of the alphabet — and many more. Combining motor activity and sensory exploration, the game supports the development of essential cognitive skills and promotes inclusion, particularly for children with visual impairments.
La Storia Infinita
A circular structure that allows players to arrange tactile tiles to invent stories. The game connects sensations, perceptions and thoughts, emphasizing the theme of circularity. It helps children narrate everyday cycles — daily routines, seasonal changes, life cycles or circular economy processes.
Shadow Tag
A board game that relies on spatial visualization and mental mapping without sight. The board is a flexible maze: one player must reach a goal with their pawn while the opponent rearranges the walls to block or mislead them.
Fluke
A card game designed to train reflexes and experiment with non-visual interaction. Players keep their eyes closed and use cards with Braille-coded holes indicating numbers. When someone collects four cards with the same number, they place their hand at the center of the table — everyone must touch it, and the last one loses.
SenseQuest
Inspired by Dr. Perfetti’s neurocognitive theory, the game adapts a rehabilitative practice that trains players to recognize materials through touch. Two players compete to identify a sequence of shapes made from different materials and reproduce it using matching pieces, highlighting the role of tactile properties in forming mental images and memory.
Project from the courses of
