Playing Across Cultures: Introducing Little Explorers
- Unique Wisdom
- Aug 9
- 3 min read
Meet Little Explorers, a cultural & travel card game born from curiosity and care.
Quick to learn and easy to love, it brings kids, families, classrooms and communities together to explore places, traditions, and everyday life across Asia and beyond—through joyful play.
Created by: Dr. Li Fong Woo (Ph.D.) and Team
Year Published: 2014
Recognition & Research
Named a Top-6 finalist in 4th Educational Game Competition at European Conference on Game-Based Learning 2016
Evidence-informed; findings published in the International Conference On Humanities Sciences And Education ICHE2014
Among the early cultural/travel intelligence card games in Asia
Creator’s Notes — Q&A
How did Little Explorers begin?
I created Little Explorers in 2014 so my two kids, my son who was born with moderate hearing loss, and his older sister, could learn side by side.
Designing for their different ways of learning made me fall in love with the process. What began at our home became a way for many children to learn differently, through play, conversation, and curiosity.
What’s an unforgettable moment from this journey?
Watching people of all ages, kids, parents, grandparents, be it in classrooms or communities, Singapore or USA, connect over the game with excitement and laughter and lose track of time.
Photo on Left: Little Explorers at Woodlands Regional Library, Singapore
Photo on Right: Little Explorers at Texas, USA (Photo Credit: True Leap Pop-Up Library)
What challenge did you face, and what did it teach you?
Challenging timing and a number of imperfect business calls put me under significant financial pressure. It was hard.
Yet it sharpened my judgment and opened unexpected paths: studying metaphysical sciences (which I later earned a Ph.D. in Holistic Life Coaching), mentoring and coaching startups and entrepreneurs, and collaborating with teams across regions scale community initiatives.
That season was tough, but it strengthened my resilience and clarity, allowing me to pay it forward.
Any reflections for fellow creators and community builders?
Everyone brings something
I am not a professional tabletop designer or a polished speaker, and I am lucky to learn from brilliant people. Working with them showed me my contribution: stitching together game design and delivery, facilitation, training, and formats, that foster bonding and communication in schools, communities, and families.
Our lens matters; each of us carries something unique. And we don’t have to do it alone.
Collaborate and switch hats
When I hit creative blocks, I shifted into a producer role and invited experienced designers, trainers and event managers to elevate the player experience and impact. Collaboration helped me execute and scale. Impact does not depend on titles; it depends on staying true to people and the original intention.
During this process, as my creativity calls, I simply shift into creator's gear, with new perspectives and bring a different dimension to my creations.
Let seasons do their work
I made a tough business call in tabletop games 10 years ago. Pausing gave me clarity, new skills, and a fresh way to present the work.
I still believe in the power of tabletop play and that is why I have founded Singapore Tabletop Game Creations in 2025, starting its momentum with Celebrate Singapore Tabletop Game Show 2025.
Time and again, I am reminded that as I stay adaptable with an open heart and open mind, there is always something beyond my imagination to learn then and emerged differently through the experiences, no matter how unfavorable they may seem.