Untangling Toys

Try as we might to fill up our day with productive work, oftentimes that business results in never having any quiet time. Even quiet, seemingly unproductive bored times. But boredom is just the beginning, a blank space, for our imaginations to begin playing. So how can you be bored again?  John Cleese's speech Creativity in Managment Learn more about Dr. Stuart Brown, his book "Play: How it Shapes...

We covered a lot of games, so if you ever need a refresher on how to play a game, check out Watch It Played for easy-to-follow game tutorials.  Other games from this episode:  -Chip Theory Games  -Too Many Bones  -Fuji Flush -Cosmoctopus -Arkham Horror  -Arkham Horror The Card Game -Clank  -Clank Legacy -Oink Games -DroPoulter  -Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective  Check out your neighborhood to...

Has LEGO become too complicated? Is it a building toy where you make things and then take them apart to create more? Or is it a model kit where you carefully follow the instructions and then permanently display your finished work? We'll look at the trends in LEGO models and which themes invite builders to tear things apart and start anew.   Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtub...

How is waking up early to put on an elaborate costume you spent weeks making, walking a long way to a convention center, and standing around in the cold waiting to take pictures a form of play? Welcome to the world of Cosplay. I interview at least five veteran cosplayers about how they got into this form of play, what it takes to be a cosplayer, and what they get out of it year after year. I even...

Is play unique to people? Or do animals also play? Sure, we've all seen a dog play with a ball or a cat play with a mouse or a nematode play with global banking systems, but is that actually play? Is play a crucial part of life in the animal kingdom? And what can we humans learn from our furry and feathered friends?  On this episode of Untangling Toys, I talks to primate researcher Dani Steinberg...

What is the definition of play? It's not easy to define, but we're going to try with the help of Dr. Stuart Brown's book "Play." I'll go through his seven properties of play, with various examples and mixed metaphors, and then we'll get to playing with Magna-Tiles. Or Picasso Tiles. Or Connetix? There sure are a lot of magnetic building toys out there. What makes a good one? What makes it a good t...

Is episode 4 too soon to do a Q&A? Well, we're doing one. What was my first toy? How abstract should toys be? Can older kids still play with toys? And how did I become a Master Model Builder? Thank you for your questions. They gave me a lot to think about and even ideas for future episodes! I look forward to doing another Q&A in the future.  Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtu...

Kids are natural improvisers, so here are some beginner techniques to play makeup and make believe with the best of them!  Learn more about John Finnemore on his blog https://johnfinnemore.blogspot.com/. "A Flock of Tigers" is episode 1 of series one of John Finnemore's Double Acts https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06gx5qm. Kind of hard to find a stream of it, so you may have to purchase the album...

How long should toys last? Are they supposed to be heirloom quality pieces, or something fun and worry-free for the here and now? Wooden toys have often been both, and wooden trains have gone even further by creating a whole ecosystem of play that has grown far beyond simple wooden engines and tracks.  Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri Learn more about your...

The first episode, so of course we're talking about the most popular, cutting-edge toy of all time: cardboard! You can find MakeDo's kit's athttps://www.make.do/. And you can find cardboard pretty much anywhere.  Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Untangling Toys. Educating kids ages 4-99 about toys, play and creativity. Play is as important to growth as a healthy diet, so let's dive into what makes for nutritious play. Join LEGO Master Model Builder and full-time fun uncle Sam Suksiri to learn about the different approaches to play and what toys make the most of playtime. Sam is joined by expert guests in the diverse fields of p...