Davina Atallah's Body Blocks Wooden Toy Explores Body Diversity Through Play

Davina Atallah, a designer from Beirut, has introduced Body Blocks, a unique wooden stacking toy system aimed at helping children understand body image and diversity. This set features painted beechwood components, including heads, torsos, and bottoms that can be rearranged to form various characters. In an interview with Dezeen, Atallah explained that the project shifts the emphasis from building structures to personal identity, exploring how play influences children's perceptions of their bodies. Throughout the development, she collaborated with children, observing their interactions with simple body shapes to reduce limitations. Some blocks feature abstract designs reminiscent of wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs, while others incorporate elements like wings and tails for imaginative creations. Crafted from PEFC-certified solid beech wood, the blocks are hand-stained with organic milk paints and sealed with a water-based finish. Available in standard sets or a larger sculptural edition for display, Body Blocks are offered through Atallah's brand, House Humbaba, established in 2025. She highlighted the project's aim to address the scarcity of developmental toys that promote body diversity, linking fine motor skills with self-awareness and creativity. Atallah stressed the significance of simplifying forms to foster interpretation, as the regenerative act of stacking and rebuilding promotes persistence and exploration.