In recent years, design for kids has been progressively moving beyond a dimension exclusively linked to products, addressing themes such as spaces, services, cities, territories, and well-being.
Within this context, the Milano Kids Design Week takes shape—a platform that becomes particularly active during Milan Design Week with the aim of fostering a design-oriented reflection on the relationship between design and childhood.
The 2026 edition, centered on the theme “Asking Why?”, proposes an interpretation of the world of children through the question “why,” which is typical of childhood. This question becomes a method for examining habits, objects, and spaces, encouraging critical thinking and promoting an exchange of perspectives among designers, companies, and cultural institutions.
MKDW Visions: New Perspectives for Design for Kids
One of the central strands of the week is represented by the new MKDW Visions, a collection of reflections and contributions exploring new trajectories for design aimed at children.
The theme goes beyond the design of toys or dedicated products, extending to a broader reflection on the role of design in shaping environments for growth: domestic spaces, educational contexts, urban environments, and shared spaces that can support children’s cognitive, emotional, and relational development.
For professionals in the field, design for kids today represents a fertile ground for rethinking the relationship between product, service, and environment, with particular attention to psycho-physical well-being and the quality of spatial experience.
Milano Kids Design Week - Nanan
Retail as a Space for Design Experimentation
Another area of experimentation within Milano Kids Design Week involves collaboration with the retail sector, interpreted not only as a place of sale but as a narrative and design space.
In this direction, the collaboration with Città del Sole—an established reference point for creative play—plays a key role. During Design Week, selected stores in Milan and its surrounding areas will host micro-installations that reinterpret products within the exhibition space, transforming them into elements of storytelling and interaction centered on the theme of “why.”
The Nanan store in Piazza Virgilio will also become a space for designed experiences: through a treasure hunt for children guided by the plush toy Tato, the retail space is transformed into an exploratory environment where design engages with play, imagination, and narrative.
Workshops as a Design Practice
A central element of Milano Kids Design Week is represented by workshops developed by The Playful Living, offering children opportunities for design and experimentation.
Through the “Why Workshops,” participants are encouraged to question design choices—such as “why this shape?”, “why this material?”, “why this space?”—thus approaching the design method itself.
Among the most significant experiences is the program developed with Save the Children at Punto Luce Gallaratese, where participants worked on design projects while exploring modeling tools and introductory 3D printing techniques. The project concludes with a final presentation moment that highlights the creative process and the future potential of these educational experiences.
Designing for Children, Designing for the City
Looking at design for children today means engaging in a broader reflection on the future of urban spaces.
Children, in fact, are a sensitive indicator of environmental quality: public spaces, urban furniture, playgrounds, and educational settings become tools through which to design more inclusive, accessible, and well-being-oriented cities.
In this sense, Milano Kids Design Week positions itself as a platform capable of activating dialogue among designers, companies, cultural institutions, and the educational sector, opening new perspectives on the role of design in creating more conscious environments for growth.
Because designing for children ultimately means designing for the future of the city.
