Inclusive play bracelet opens doors for children everywhere

Playful social engagement is at the core of learning, development, and thriving among children. But most play-facilitative technology does it wrong for neurodiverse children. Too often, technologies aim to "fix" differences rather than appreciate them. A new project does the reverse, working to build understanding and communication in place of fixing.

The team created ChromaConnect, a proof-of-concept bracelet that enables children to communicate how they would like to play. It is simple in form but theatrical in effect: colored lights show whether a child is open to playing alone, joining, or conveying a specific emotion. By communicating their preferred play, ChromaConnect gives children with different play styles a common language, enabling more inclusive and joyful play.

Social play is more than fun—it is a foundation for healthy development. It teaches cooperation, empathy, problem-solving, and communication. For neurodiverse children, including those with autism, play can sometimes feel complicated. Different play styles or ways of expressing interest can lead to misunderstandings, leaving some children isolated.

Old technologies have tended to treat these differences as something to be corrected, pushing neurodiverse children towards more "normal" ways of playing. Researchers believe that this represents a lost potential. Instead of erasing differences, inclusive design can create tools that enjoy diverse ways of playing and encourage children to understand each other better.

The team, led by Dr. Oussama Metatla and Dr. Alison Oldfield, from the University of Bristol, wanted to create something special. They began with a co-design study involving seven children aged seven and eight from both neurodivergent and neurotypical backgrounds. The children were asked to design gadgets that would allow them to play together more naturally.

ChromaConnect, a small colored button bracelet, was the result of such ideas. Green represents playing together, blue for playing alone, and yellow for coming in. Kids press the related button which shows their choice, and they flash a light showing that choice to others.

The children quickly took up the bracelet, even creating their own versions. Some of them changed the color codes to make them what they saw as ways of expressing feelings—like choosing a color to represent happiness or sadness. This flexibility showed that children liked having the autonomy to control the way they communicated their intentions during play.

Their study was published at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Yokohama. The study shows how ChromaConnect enabled more equitable play across play styles. Lead author Brooke Morris explained, "Prior research has demonstrated that autistic and non-autistic kids may play and interact in different ways and that this can make it difficult during social play because they don't speak each other's languages."

By providing a visual cue, the bracelet helped kids fill that gap. Under both structured and unstructured playtime sessions, the device reminded children to respect and respond to others' choices. Divergent play patterns became visible rather than hidden, which made it easier to connect without putting children under one style of play.

The study also showed that children valued having the ability to definitely indicate when they wished to start social play. That definiteness helped prevent confusion and conflict and enhanced confidence in group involvement.

This project is a departure from the way play technology is being created. Instead of directing children into "typical" play, the bracelet creates opportunities for other ways of participating to coexist. Communication, understanding, and respect are the focus.

As Morris noted, "We know a lot about the social play of neurotypical children but not much about the social play of autistic children or among neurodiverse groups.". We asked ourselves—how do we develop and construct play technology that facilitates the different ways kids play with each other and interact, and helps children understand each other better? The report is gesturing toward a future when play tools are friends, not instructors.

By offering children ways to communicate the manner in which they wish to interact, the devices are able to reduce frustration and form stronger social bonds.

The University of Bristol researchers view this study as merely the beginning. They plan to explore children's own play theories in greater detail, paying special attention to why it is challenging and why it is fun. By listening intently to both autistic and non-autistic children, they hope to uncover barriers that limit inclusive play and develop better ways of overcoming them.

Miss Morris pointed out the necessity to look beyond prescriptive ideals of how play "should" be. "We have to accept that there is no 'right' way to play and that there are multiple and divergent ways of playing and relating to others," she described. Future projects will complement ChromaConnect or create new tools in their own right, but it will all be done for the same purpose: to embrace play diversity, not eliminate it.

Inclusive play technology is not only childhood play. Play early in life affects the way individuals learn to participate in broader society. An accepted and comprehended child at play is more likely to develop confidence, empathy, and resilience.

On the other hand, an excluded or misunderstood child will struggle to socialize. Solutions like ChromaConnect can assist by ensuring everyone, regardless of their playing style, has a voice and a space.

This research also highlights the co-design—designing with, not for—children model's greater efficacy. The children's input conditioned the bracelet into something practical, adaptable, and fun. That in and of itself is a reflection of the respect and inclusion values the technology aims to promote.

Play is perhaps the initial and most important method of children's socialization. Using tools like ChromaConnect, those connections can become stronger and more participatory. Rather than demanding that children become alike, the bracelet demonstrates how difference can reinforce play.

In a world where differences are often misunderstood, teaching children how to communicate and understand each other is an interesting step ahead.

Research findings are available online in the journal Association for Computing Machinery.

Like these kind of feel good stories? Get The Brighter Side of News' newsletter.