The logic of construction: The evolution of design philosophy in educational construction toys
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30857/2617-0272.2026.2.4Keywords:
toy design, systemic design, modular platforms, material culture, pedagogical artifacts, educational toolAbstract
The purpose of the study was to reconstruct the genealogy of design philosophies that transformed construction toys from closed instructional systems to open platforms and, ultimately, to socially engaged artefacts. The study employed a qualitative historical design using multiple-case comparative analysis based on primary sources (patents, designers’ and educators’ writings), historical commercial materials, and key educational and philosophical texts, supplemented by contemporary scholarly and industry sources. The analysis was structured around two dimensions – systematicity (connection mechanisms, materials, modular logic) and didacticism (educational philosophies, cultivated skills, and encoded cultural values) – to trace the evolution of educational construction toys. Each case was analysed along these axes: systematicity (materials, connection mechanisms, modular logic) and didacticism (educational philosophy, skills cultivated, cultural values). A clear evolutionary trajectory emerged. In the early period (1840s – early 20th century), construction toys functioned as closed systems designed to transmit philosophical or engineering knowledge. During the industrial-modernist stage (early 20th century – 1980s), supported by innovations such as LEGO “clutch power”, construction toys transformed into open platforms enriched by narrative and systemic approaches. In the contemporary era (1990s – present, 2026), the design logic diversified to address social and environmental challenges, including gender representation and sustainable materials. The study provided evidence that construction toys act not merely as playthings but as educational artefacts encoding worldviews, pedagogical strategies, and social values. The results may be useful for educational toy designers, educators, and researchers of material culture as a methodological foundation for creating and applying construction toys that align technological design, pedagogical goals, and cultural context
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