What if the toys we played with as children helped shape the adults we are today?
A battered teddy bear. A box of building blocks. A toy car that once travelled to imaginary worlds.
Why do these simple objects stay with us long after childhood? And when did we decide that growing up meant giving up play?
Four fascinating voices help us rediscover the power of play:
Tabitha Dell’Angelo, educator and researcher, challenges the notion that play belongs exclusively to childhood, explaining why playfulness remains essential to adult creativity, emotional well-being and human connection.
Paul Dixon, former toy buyer and industry executive, invites adults to reconnect with their favourite childhood toys through an unusual 30-day challenge to rediscover joy and imagination.
Chris Byrne, toy historian and industry expert, reveals how our favourite toys tell the stories of our lives, reflecting our memories, identities and the societies in which we grew up.
Phil Sage, toy designer and technologist, explores how toys nurture experimentation, problem-solving and innovation — and why today’s playful children may become tomorrow’s creative thinkers and leaders.
Because toys are never just toys. They are our first laboratories of imagination, and perhaps our earliest lessons in being human.
Produced and presented by Katerina Batzaki
