Naef Vivo Wooden Stacking Toy | Yasuo Aizawa Design

The Naef Vivo is a precision wooden construction toy designed by Japanese toy designer Yasuo Aizawa. Made up of 12 bold red, yellow, and blue wooden elements, Vivo begins with one unusual geometric form; a three-dimensional triangle with a flat base and distinctive V-shaped profile.

Turn, balance, stack, and interlock the pieces to discover just how many structures can grow from this single shape. The V-shaped elements slot around one another to form abstract towers, angular sculptures, letter-like forms, crosses, and twisting constructions reminiscent of DNA structures. The photographs give just a glimpse of the possibilities, with the same 12 pieces creating dramatically different three-dimensional arrangements depending on their orientation.

Vivo is particularly interesting for exploring geometry, balance, spatial reasoning, symmetry, and structural relationships through hands-on experimentation. There is no prescribed finished model to achieve. Instead, the challenge lies in understanding how each identical piece relates to the next, finding new connections, testing balance, and discovering structures through trial and error. It makes an absorbing wooden stacking game and construction toy for children, while its sculptural forms and deceptively difficult building possibilities give it plenty of appeal as a wooden puzzle or desk toy for adults.

Vivo was designed by Yasuo Aizawa, a Japanese designer born in Shizuoka in 1955. Aizawa's interest in toy design was influenced by encountering Naef's Ellipso in 1980 while working for a toy company. His fascination with play went on to inform his work as a toy designer, manga artist, and lecturer exploring play and childhood education. His designs for Naef include Vivo, Cuby, Arena, Isomo, and Via.

Made with the precision and attention to form for which Naef are renowned, Vivo is a striking example of their approach to play; simple geometric elements transformed into an extraordinary number of possibilities. At Babipur, we love Naef toys for their enduring design, exceptional quality, and ability to make children and adults stop, experiment, and look at familiar shapes differently.

Includes: 12 wooden V-shaped elements
Piece dimensions: 7.5 x 4.3 x 2.5cm
Age: Not suitable for children under 3 years. Recommended from 6 years+