Castle Grab

What is it?
Castle Grab is a 10 minute competitive board game for 2-3 children. In this game, you are lords and ladies battling to win the castle. Use tongs to grab as many marbles as possible during a round, all at once. The round ends when all marbles are off of the castle board. Then, the winner of the round moves forward on their board. To win the full game and rule the castle, reach the end of your board.

What does it do?
Castle Grab develops essential muscles in a child’s hand that are used for writing, dressing themselves, and other day to day tasks. Additionally, the game practices hand-eye coordination, crossing the midline, grab and release, and dexterity. In the game, children are challenged to practice using their opposite hand, close one eye, and identify colors.

How does it work?
Tongs are provided to each player, and pose an additional challenge to grabbing the marbles. Children must be more accurate, grabbing the marbles one at a time. When a marble is grabbed, it is placed inside the child’s tower, where it funnels down and is stored on their castle wall during the round. At the start of the next round, the child presses their button to release the marbles onto the board again. Another interaction point in the game is the Action Button, an automatic dice popper activated by pressing on the button.

Design Concept
This design is rooted in occupational therapy practices for children with Cerebral Palsy, Dyspraxia, and Down Syndrome, three conditions that commonly affect fine motor skills. Early iterations emphasized strength-building actions such as rotating, pinching, pulling, and rolling. Through continued research and prototyping, I centered the design around tongs, as they engage in-hand manipulation skills aligned with these movements.

Stylistically, the product draws from multiple sources. Inspired by Hape’s existing Marble Run line, the design embraces simple forms and a restrained color palette. To support users with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), often co-occurring with Cerebral Palsy, I incorporated a high-contrast: bold shapes and black accents. The triangular board shape reflects how occupational therapists typically position themselves beside, rather than across from, the child during therapy. While the product is accessible and engaging for all children, it holds value as a therapeutic tool.