Mandy van der Heijden

Department: Man and Mobility
Website: www.mandyvanderheijden.com

The Odd Ones

Kids find it hard to keep still. And yet this is what we expect of them at school, for hours on end. There they sit, stuck in neatly aligned rows of desks, when they actually need regular movement and play to rest and recharge. It’s also their way of learning key social skills, which are as important as academic competence. And so Mandy van der Heijden created ‘The Odd Ones’: classroom furniture with a playful twist. Jumping, spinning, rolling and climbing – it all becomes possible when children are finally given room to move.