Rui Huang · CLIENT: Xiamen University of Technology
Chalk Pebbles is a set of drawing chalk for children, shaped like riverbed pebbles. Each piece has an irregular texture and colored bands made from edible fruit and vegetable powders. Seven hardness levels allow children to explore tactile differences and to reveal hidden color layers. The chalk marks rough surfaces directly and can be broken apart for free building play. When moistened, the chalk also works as a watercolor medium. Food-safe materials and degradable packaging support child safety and care for the environment.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Chalk Pebbles is designed with the concept of nature as a teaching tool, inspired by the natural shapes of riverbed pebbles. Each piece features irregular textures and vibrant color bands made from vegetable-based pigments. With seven hardness levels, children can explore tactile gradients, revealing hidden color layers. The chalk also doubles as a watercolor medium when moistened. Chalk Pebbles reconnects children with nature in a poetic way, offering low-tech, high-sensory interaction in the digital age.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Individual: 56mmx42mmx23mm, 40mmx35mmx20mm, 50mmx38mmx18mm, 59mmx30mmx21mm, 58mmx26mmx21mm, 62mmx34mmx26mm, 70mmx50mmx25mm
Packaging: 264x142mm - Tags
- Stationery, natural materials, tactile experience, fine motor skills, children's development, eco-friendly design, sensory play, educational tools, hand-eye coordination, creative exploration
- Production Technology
- The components of this product are edible fruit and vegetable powders. The pebbles are made using a molding process with food-safe materials, combining starch and powdered pigments for adjustable hardness.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge lies in the ratio of product ingredients, because different color simulations, surface textures, and hardness are required, so multiple tests are needed to optimize the user experience.
- Project Duration
- The project runs from March 2024 to February 2025 in Xiamen, China
- Operation Flow
- Paint directly onto rough surfaces.
Break apart and paint onto rough surfaces.
Smudge painted areas with a wet brush for a watercolor effect.
Use Chalk Pebbles or break them apart for free-building play. - Research
- Chalk Pebbles reimagines traditional chalk through nature-inspired design, combining edible vegetable pigments and riverbed pebble morphology to create a multi-sensory chalk for children. Through naturalistic observation, material testing, and questionnaire from 28 users，Open-ended interactions deepen children’s connection to ecological cycles. Future work will scale the play-learn-renew model to broader sustainability education contexts.
- Inspiration
- Bring the pebble elements of nature indoors to arouse curiosity and closeness to nature in educational scenes.
The unique texture and color changes of natural pebbles are retained in shape and material, allowing children to directly feel the beauty of nature through playing.
Environmentally friendly, edible raw materials and degradable packaging are used, which are friendly to the environment and concerned about children's safety. - Image Credits
- Image #1: Designer Rui Huang, ChalkPebbles, 2025.
Image #2: Designer Rui Huang, ChalkPebbles, 2025.
Image #3: Designer Rui Huang, ChalkPebbles, 2025.
Image #4: Designer Rui Huang, ChalkPebbles, 2025.
Image #5: Designer Rui Huang, ChalkPebbles, 2025.
Video Credits: Designer Rui Huang, ChalkPebbles, 2025. - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Rui Huang, 2025.
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