Tiny Travellers Bug Hotel: A Fun & Educational Activation
School holiday activations are some of our favourite projects to work on - they’re playful, hands-on, and give shopping centres a real opportunity to create memorable moments for families. The Tiny Travellers Bug Hotel was designed with exactly that in mind: a walk-in, self-guided experience that sparks curiosity, encourages learning through play, and works hard within realistic centre budgets.
Recently installed across four ERCEG WA locations, these activations are a great example of how one strong creative idea can be adapted, scaled, and rolled out to deliver consistent impact across multiple centres.
Tiny Travellers Bug Hotel at Lakes Shopping Centre
From Concept to Creation
The original concept for Tiny Travellers Bug Hotel was built around a simple, familiar idea. Summer school holidays are often associated with travel, holidays, and hotel stays - so we translated that language into a playful, child-friendly world.
By reimagining a bug hotel as a place where insect “guests” check in, kids are invited to wander through, discover who’s staying in each space, and learn along the way. Each bug becomes a tiny traveller with its own story, habitat, and role in the ecosystem, turning curiosity into learning through exploration. By extension the kids are also tiny travellers exploring the space.
From there, the design evolved into a colourful, immersive zone featuring:
A walk-in structure or backdrop that feels like a miniature world
Oversized bugs, playing with scale and incorporating details to spark imagination
Educational prompts encouraging kids to observe, explore, and learn
A clear flow that works for quick visits or longer, slower wanderings
Importantly, the design needed to be:
Durable
Safe
Easy to install and remove
Flexible enough to suit different footprints
That foundation allowed us to adapt the same core concept across four locations, tweaking layouts and details while keeping the experience cohesive and recognisable.
Detail of one of the Bug Hotel plinths.
Why Educational Activations Matter During School Holidays
School holiday periods are high-traffic moments for centres, particularly with families. Educational activations like Bug Hotel offer value on multiple levels:
For kids: learning disguised as play - discovering insects, habitats, and nature in a fun, non-classroom way
For parents and carers: a purposeful activity that entertains and educates
For centres: longer dwell time, repeat visits, and positive brand association
By keeping the experience self-guided, children can explore at their own pace, making the activation accessible to a wide age range without feeling overwhelming or restrictive.
Creating a backdrop that is educational, interesting and the perfect photo backdrop.
Designing Cost-Effective, High-Impact Activations
Not every centre has the budget or staffing resources for fully manned activations - and that’s okay. Bug Hotel was intentionally designed to work as an unmanned experience, without losing impact.
Key considerations included:
Clear, intuitive signage so families understand how to engage
Activities that don’t require supervision
Robust materials that can withstand high interaction
Low ongoing operational costs
A simple activity sheet with Bug Bingo & Build your own Bug Hotel activities, adds an interactive layer, encouraging kids to look closer, spot details, and fully engage with the installation - all without the need for additional staff.
‘The Butterfly Bungalow’ Bug Hotel plinth complete with interesting facts, activities and guests.
Rolling Out Across Four Locations
One of the strengths of this project design was its adaptability. Using the same creative framework across four centres allowed us and our client to:
Maximise value from the initial design investment
Maintain brand and experience consistency
Tailor layouts to suit different spaces
Create a recognisable school holiday offering across locations
Each installation feels considered and site-specific, while still clearly belonging to the same Tiny Travellers world.
Alexander Heights Shopping Centre activation area.
The Takeaway
Tiny Travellers Bug Hotel is a great reminder that:
Educational activations don’t need to be complicated to be effective
Thoughtful design can stretch budgets further
Self-guided experiences can still feel immersive and special
One strong idea can successfully live across multiple locations
For us, it’s all about creating experiences with purpose - playful, practical, and designed to truly work for both the audience and the client.
Until next time,
Juliet
Graphic Design- EO Designs | Print- CR Results | Photos- Soco Studios