Small children love to imitate the adults in their lives. Whether it's watering flowers, vacuuming or caring for pets, toddlers and preschoolers love to help out in the household. Ketnet recognized this fascination and asked us to translate this fact into a digital game. The goal? To create a playful, interactive experience where children can act as little helpers, within the familiar world of Kaatje.
Our team built on a solid foundation. Gilles, creative developer at Cartel Agency, has been working on projects around Kaatje since 2009and knows the character inside out. This time, however, we went a step further by developing an even more dynamic play experience, with natural actions that children recognize in their everyday lives.
Together with Ketnet, we worked out the concept: a digital playhouse in which children can do what they observe in real life. This was translated into three interactive environments, each with its own playful tasks and discoveries.
In Kaatjes garden, children can water flowers, grow vegetables or mow the grass, among other things. Each element of the garden invites discovery and interaction: from tending plants to other small chores that bring the garden to life. This environment encourages a sense of responsibility and the joy of caring for nature.
Here everything revolves around Minnie, Kaatjes cat. Children can pet, feed, wash, comb and play with Minnie. The living room offers plenty of opportunities to develop caring and empathy.
Viktor, one of Kaatjes best friends, needs help cleaning his rocket. Kids can vacuum, mop, wash windows and more. The rocket combines recognizable household tasks with a touch of fantasy and adventure.
What makes Kaatje Huisje Spelen unique is its sophisticated interaction with objects. Whereas in previous games children often activate rigid animations via a simple click, this time they can grasp objects and control them very precisely. This opens up a world of possibilities, such as:
This updated approach makes the game not only more fun, but also more intuitive, as children have more control over their actions. This makes them feel even more engaged in their digital environment.
The entire process behind Kaatje Huisje Spelen was done completely in-house. From visual design to development, animations and audio design, each component was developed with care. This approach allowed us to create a consistent, immersive game experience that perfectly reflects Kaatje's world.
The recognizable voices of Kaatje and Kamiel, provided by Ketnet, are the icing on the cake. These were voiced by the original actors, giving the game all the familiar atmosphere that children know and appreciate. The result is a collaboration in which technology, creativity and authenticity come together.
Kaatje Huisje Spelen gives children a safe, familiar environment where play and learning go hand in hand. It stimulates their curiosity about everyday tasks while stimulating their creativity and motor skills.
For Ketnet, this means a successful translation of a strong concept into a digital experience that combines the magic of Kaatje and the living world of toddlers and preschoolers. For us it was a unique opportunity to let children grow through play, with a touch of fantasy and a lot of fun.
Ketnet is making sure the games are available through the Ketnet Junior page on VRT max and the Ketnet Junior app, so families can access Kaatjes Speelhuis from anywhere.
Play the living room game Play the garden game Play the rocket game