A WINTHER A/S & 3PART: Inclusive play through thoughtful design
The concept of the WheelyRider originates from the Danish full-service development house 3PART, where the team observed their own children playing with traditional wheelchairs in the 3PART design studio. The experience sparked a conversation about how to reduce stigmatization and truly embody “the design for all” philosophy that defines 3PART’s daily practice. In close collaboration with the industrial manufacturer A WINTHER A/S, a prototype was developed and tested by its most important experts: children ages 4-10 at a local kindergarten, where it was met with great enthusiasm.
A playground vehicle designed for shared movement
The inclusive, internationally award-winning WheelyRider is a playful fusion between a utility wheelchair and a manually powered go-cart, with form and proportions designed to invite activity and shared play. Movement defines the object and shapes how it is approached, used, and understood on the playground. WheelyRider is part of the Viking Challenge series of playground equipment, which not only spreads joy on the playground but also develops children's coordination skills.
The concept grew from close observation of how wheelchairs enter children’s play in everyday settings. That insight is translated into a vehicle driven by arm and upper-body effort, supporting physical development while introducing a shared way of moving. Unlike traditional playground vehicles, it lets children without disabilities try a wheelchair-like motion, fostering empathy and understanding for peers who use wheelchairs in everyday life. Play places children on equal terms, inviting empathy and social understanding through movement.
Manufactured by A WINTHER A/S and developed by design studio 3PART, the WheelyRider emerged through a 360-degree design process shaped by user and market research, prototyping, and testing with superusers, to final 3D documentation and production-ready design. Through design-led production, inclusive ambition becomes an everyday object that strengthens physical skills and broadens children’s perspectives, making inclusion tangible at eye level on the playground.
WheelyRider was never meant to train only muscles and coordination; it was designed so children could step into each other’s world and discover inclusion, empathy, and understanding through play.
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About the Company
A WINTHER A/S has been delivering high-quality tri- & bicycles to Danes since 1932. A big part of the company’s identity is inclusion. With the corporate philosophy “Learning by Moving”, they focus on improving children's motor development, as well as cognitive and social skills through play and movement.
3PART is a Danish full-service development house specialising in product design, service design and business innovation. They help organisations turn ideas into impactful products, services and business models by combining strategic insight, design and engineering.