Micro Playground is a portable microscopy kit that transforms microscopic observation into an educational and playful experience.

Developed in collaboration with the Zurich-based microscope startup Eureka!, the project extends the original practical microscopy with interactive and narrative layers. The microscope is turned into an alternative game controller. The observers are able to seek microbes through samples and turn them into playable characters and narrative agents. Each micro-world is based on scientific knowledge about microbes that you can apprehend through play. An accompanying booklet allows you to delve deeper.

Beyond a personal-use product, the kit proposes new possibilities for citizen science, nature exploration, and education by opening up microscopy to wider audiences through game mechanics, interaction, and storytelling. Designed for both outdoor sampling and public outreach, the kit can be used not only in natural environments but also in museums, classrooms, labs, and other educational spaces. It’s aiming to encourage curiosity, collective observation, and active interaction with the micro-world.