LOCOMO®
A nature exploration toy for observation and imagination

Play with Nature’s Wonders

Where noticing becomes imagination

Play does not always begin with a toy. Sometimes, it begins when a child stops to notice something they might otherwise have passed by.

LOCOMO® invites children to go outside, search for natural materials, and bring their discoveries back into play. They can insert, turn, adjust, remove, and try different pieces until each character begins to take on a new appearance and personality.

Each LOCOMO® character has its own distinct form and recognizable features, while leaving room for nature to become part of the play. Children can add ears, antlers, wings, legs, or other details using what they find, gradually transforming the character through their own choices and imagination.

The play begins with the search

The next trip outside may feel different when there is something worth looking for.

Rather than providing every detail in the box, LOCOMO® gives children a reason to discover those details for themselves. Some may begin with an idea of what they hope to find. Others may notice an interesting shape first, then imagine what part of a character it could become.

What they find will change with the place, the season, and what catches their attention that day. Even with the same character, each new search can lead to a different result.

Going outside is not simply preparation for the play. Searching, choosing, and bringing discoveries back are part of the LOCOMO® experience itself.

Leaves, flowers, twigs, and other natural materials are not included in the set.

Small details can change a character

A leaf is not yet a wing. A twig is not yet a leg. Those roles emerge through the way a child chooses and places what they have found.

Natural pieces may differ in length, shape, curve, thickness, color, or texture. These differences influence where each piece can be placed and how the character begins to look.

A leaf inserted into an opening may resemble an ear or a wing. A twig may suggest an antler or a leg. Turning, reversing, or moving the same piece can create a noticeably different stance, expression, or personality.

Its role is not fixed by its natural form. Meaning develops through the child’s choices and interpretation.

Closer to nature through play

Looking for something to complete a character gives children a clear reason to examine nature for themselves.

During the search, children may begin to notice details that are easy to overlook: the veins of a leaf, an uneven edge, a change in color, or small marks across a surface. Natural materials that appear similar from a distance may reveal clear differences when picked up and compared.

The experience involves more than looking. Children may notice that one surface is rough while another is smooth, dry, flexible, soft, or brittle. Touch, scent, movement, and the surrounding environment all become part of the discovery.

LOCOMO® gives children a reason to move closer, look for longer, and pay attention to things they might otherwise have passed by.

Where nature becomes part of the story

A LOCOMO® character does not need to begin with a finished story. Often, the story appears after a child inserts something, steps back to look, and begins to recognize a personality in the character taking shape.

As its appearance becomes clearer, new questions may arise.

Who is this character?
What is it doing?
Where is it going?
How might it relate to the other characters nearby?

A choice that begins with shape and placement can gradually lead to naming, conversation, role-play, and storytelling.

Sometimes a child may change a detail because the story has changed. At other times, the story may change because the character suddenly looks different. Making and storytelling can develop together, each influencing what happens next.

Development that grows through attention

LOCOMO® brings observation, choice, and decision-making together within a simple play experience.

Children consider whether a discovery is the right size for an opening, whether it fits securely, and whether it comes close to the idea taking shape in their minds. When something does not work as expected, they may change the angle, try another position, select a different piece, or return outside to continue searching.

Inserting, turning, removing, and adjusting materials of different shapes also creates opportunities to coordinate the hands and eyes and practice controlled finger movements.

Language and imagination can develop alongside these actions. Children may describe what they have found, explain why they chose it, give a character a name, or begin telling a story about what is happening.

The finished character is only one part of the experience. The looking, comparing, choosing, changes of mind, and repeated attempts matter too.

Discovering together without taking over

Adults can share the LOCOMO® experience by joining the outdoor search, helping children choose materials that are clean and suitable for play, or simply walking and noticing alongside them.

There is no need to direct the experience with constant questions or suggestions. Sometimes, giving a child enough time to look closely, pick something up, and make a decision is all that is needed. An adult can stay present and respond when the child wants to share a discovery or compare several possibilities.

The adult’s role is not to decide how the character should look. It is to help create a safe setting in which children have time to explore, experiment, and follow their own attention.

A character may be taken apart on the same day or left in place and changed again later. The creation itself may be temporary, but the experience of searching and noticing together can remain much longer.

Designed for real use, indoors and out

LOCOMO® is made from PlanWood™, a material developed by PlanToys® using reclaimed rubberwood sawdust, organic pigments, and E0 glue.

The character forms remain visually simple so that the natural details children add can stand out. Found materials can be inserted, adjusted, removed, and replaced while retaining their own shapes, textures, and individual qualities.

LOCOMO® can accompany children as they explore outdoors, then return with them to a table, playroom floor, classroom, or other indoor learning space. The experience moves naturally between discovering the world outside and creating characters and stories indoors.

The characters can be cleaned and used again, allowing each new outdoor discovery to begin another version of the play.

Safety and thoughtful design

LOCOMO® has been tested to meet ASTM F963, EN 71, and applicable JFSL requirements.

Suitable for children ages 3 and up.

Adults should help children choose natural materials that are clean, safe, and appropriate for their age, and supervise them while collecting and using these materials in play.

Explore LOCOMO® The Animated Series

The world of LOCOMO® extends beyond the toy into a series of short animations about friendship, observation, and discovering meaning in the small details of nature.

The characters children meet through play return with stories of their own, encouraging the same thoughtful attention to nature and to one another that lies at the heart of LOCOMO®.

Different systems, one shared belief

Each TaksaToys system expresses the same belief: children can learn through direct experience, with each system offering a different way to engage.

• Resources® invites children to explore balance, placement, and how each choice changes what happens next.
• Arch-Kid-Tech® makes structural principles, alignment, and force transfer visible through building.
• LOCOMO® invites children to observe, interpret, and create stories with elements found in nature.
• Resources® Playground brings movement, coordination, and collaboration into play.

Explore TaksaToys’ approach to Play-Based Learning, or read Why Play Matters in Child Development.

LOCOMO®: Exploring nature through observation and imagination

Step outside. Notice the details. See how what you find shapes a character and its story.