All ages
The ‘Daily Activity Matrix’ is a tool that can be used with a small group of children to learn about their typical day, from the time they wake up until they go to sleep. The activities are recorded in the table as the day progresses, forming the matrix. Children can use text and/or drawings to record their activities and locations. This tool can be used with caregivers to learn about young children’s lives, while school aged children can engage in the activity themselves. A more complex version of this tool involves collecting more precise timings to quantify how much time children spend engaged in different activities, for example, play, sleep, travel, care of their siblings, housework, paid work, or work with their families. This can reveal differences based on age and gender that can inform design solutions.
The Daily Activity Matrix can help address the following questions:
- What does a participant’s typical day look like?
- How do daily activities change from one day to another?
- What are the risks they face?
- Where are the gaps in daily activities that could be filled?