Lingjie Zhao

As the process of urbanization intensifies, children are increasingly being subjected to excessive noise and overstimulation. Adults can use their integrated sensory system to filter out stimuli in order to concentrate, but children's sensory receptors are still undeveloped, making them vulnerable to sensory processing disorder. Experts encourage parents to foster the capacity to process sensory information in childen by providing them with training from birth through early childhood, particularly from three to five years, a time of intensive sensory play. My thesis project, Harvester, is a design for a kitchen sensory kit aimed at helping children learn and develop by creatively handling food. It includes fruit- and vegetable-processing modules, allowing children to design their own ways to prepare food and make their own dishes. All the tools are highly functional and are made of nontoxic materials. The kit enables children to engage in actions such as touching, smelling, grinding, and tasting, which stimulate the development of sensory processing capacities.