Curious Gastronaut was created by a rather curious human named Nalisha Chouraria – play designer, illustrator and eating designer.
Delightfully playful and full of energy, Nalisha designs tools for play and the imagination for children, with children. Nalisha brings the child’s perspective into her work through research, play testing, observation, interviews and workshops. Studio Oddball is her playground.
Nalisha spends most of her time playing, watching children play or thinking about play and why it is so great. She is obsessed with learning and names inanimate objects and keeps them as pets. She’s on a mission to introduce children to the joy of food in early childhood and enable families to enjoy mealtime together.
Peruse her LinkedIn here.
You’re curious to know more, like WHY and HOW this wondrous game came to exist? Well, let me tell you!
It all started in 2015, when I was living in Sweden. One stormy night (OK I made up the stormy bit), I woke with a start. I had an idea, inspired by the little people in my life. What if, instead of trying to force children to eat food they fear, we use play to inspire curiosity and spark joy around food? After all, food is much more than fuel. We should explore the food world like an astronaut explores space…’We should all be Gastronauts!’. After years of extensive research, countless hours of play testing and two awards later, it launched as the game we see here today.
Food preferences start forming in childhood, and while some are innate, most are learned. For children to learn to prefer and select healthy foods, it is critical to provide them with early, positive, repeated experiences with those foods. We are most receptive to developing new tastes in early childhood and therefore, children should be provided with more opportunities to experience as many flavours, textures, aromas and combinations as possible. We are reimagining how children are introduced to food in early childhood.
Curious Gastronaut is a multi-award winning platform that enables parents and educators to empower children around food, through play. We design hands on, food play experiences to inspire them to be curious, creative and confident with food. We’re on a mission to help children discover the joy of food and to enable families to enjoy great meals together.
There was a need for non-stressful, pressure-free and engaging ways to provide multiple food exposures that children need, to develop new tastes and eventually become healthy, confident and adventurous eaters. Children best explore and learn about the world by playing and using their imagination. So why not the food world?
Our food play products have been designed by experts and have won multiple awards such as the A’Design Award and Good Design Best in Class Award.
Buy here.
OzHarvest is Australia’s most trusted and leading food rescue organisation.
I’ve been a proud and active volunteer at OzHarvest since 2018. One of my key responsibilities is to educate and inspire children to become passionate food warriors. Today, I’m delighted to announce OzHarvest as our charity partner.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, on an average there are two hungry children in every classroom, across the nation. As a business that promotes food play and learning, this partnership is important to us. It is also a gateway to start a conversation with our little humans about the food waste, gratefulness and kindness.
With that said, we donate a part of every sale to OzHarvest towards feeding two vulnerable children in school. That’s 1 game = 2 meals. Buy here.
Thank you, you kind, kind human.
