Trace & Learn: Counting Board Book (Post 5)- Trying to Add Interactivity (And Rethinking It)

The Idea

While working on the layouts, I came across board books where kids can trace letters and numbers.

I thought—why not add that here?

It felt like a nice way to go beyond just counting.

So I added:

• Dotted numbers

• Small circular guides for tracing

What Didn’t Work

After a few days, I paused and really questioned it.

I cut paper to the actual size and tested it physically. That’s when I realized something important:

The numbers were only about 1 x 1 inch.

That’s just not practical for a toddler to trace.

It was a slightly disappointing moment—but also a very useful one. It reminded me that ideas that sound good don’t always work in reality, especially when designing for kids.