Building a Mini-Parthenon

Abstract

Playful representations of history are quite widespread in various types of modern toys and games. The author of this essay focused specifically on commercially available construction sets inspired by Greek antiquity. In order to acquire an understanding of user behaviour vis à vis such playthings, she employed as sources consumer reactions published on on line marketplaces. User generated feedback that is available on the Internet clearly offers an extremely rich and relatively untapped resource for researchers of user experiences. The on line exploration was complemented by a self study of using one of these sets to construct a mini Parthenon; it was a pleasurable and rewarding activity The combined consideration of consumer comments and self study suggest that the experience of making miniature replicas of ancient buildings is mostly positive for a wide range of users, as it successfully combines entertainment with learning. At the same time, such play activities offer sufficient scope for improvisation and creativity.