Toys
‘They want toys to get their children into Harvard’: have we been getting playthings all wrong? – podcast
For decades we’ve been using toys to cram learning into playtime – and toys have been marketed as tools to turn children into prosperous, high-achieving adults. Is it time for a rethink?
Written by Alex Blasdel, read by James Sobol Kelly and produced by Jessica Beck. The executive producer was Ellie Bury
06, Jan, 2023 @5:00 AM
Tom Karen’s designs brought vim and vigour to 1970s Britain
The immigrant designer conjured futuristic delight with icons from the Raleigh Chopper to the Reliant Robin
Steve Rose
03, Jan, 2023 @6:51 PM
Are you bored yet? Beat festive fatigue – and your family – with seven of the best new board games
From fiendish strategy, to quick-to-learn cards, here are some great ways to fill those long winter nights
Dan Jolin
29, Dec, 2022 @7:00 AM
We planned epic Scalextric tournaments as we watched TFI Friday – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
I finally got the racing car set I’d always wanted when I went to university. But it didn’t work out quite as I imagined
Rich Pelley
24, Dec, 2022 @12:00 PM
Doctors warn parents about children swallowing objects in Christmas toys
Button batteries can cause most damage, NHS says, as number of young people admitted to hospital doubles
Tom Ambrose
24, Dec, 2022 @7:00 AM
Prof Plum in the ballroom? Murder mystery board games make a Christmas killing
Shows such as The Traitors rekindle interest in classic family whodunnits such as Cluedo as modern escape room games enter the mix
Zoe Wood
17, Dec, 2022 @7:00 AM
Squishmallows go from TikTok sensation to top Christmas toy
Sales of huggable pillow with a face, made popular by famous devotees such as Lady Gaga, up by 300%
Zoe Wood
09, Dec, 2022 @12:59 PM
‘They want toys to get their children into Harvard’: have we been getting playthings all wrong?
The long read: For decades we have been using toys to cram learning into playtime – and toys have increasingly been marketed as helping to turn children into prosperous, high-achieving adults. But it turns out this approach is all wrong
Alex Blasdel
24, Nov, 2022 @6:00 AM
The doll that stayed with Mum for life | Brief letters
Brief letters: Comfort objects | Our dad, the wing man | Simple rice pudding | Complicated beans on toast
22, Nov, 2022 @4:40 PM
‘I love him so much I could cry’: adults who have cuddly toys
Teddy bears, dolls, blankets … children love comfort objects. But some grownups can’t live without them either. Adults – aged 27 to 72 – snuggle down and explain the appeal
Interviews by Deborah Linton
19, Nov, 2022 @11:55 AM
Festive rush for Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot as 70,000 queue online for ad toys
Merchandise linked to supermarket’s latest Christmas campaign sells out online hours after going on sale
Sarah Butler
17, Nov, 2022 @4:28 PM
Chocks away! Airfix’s Spitfire takes to the skies again
After decades out of production, the 1:24 scale model plane that thrilled generations of children is back. And it’s being made in Britain!
15, Nov, 2022 @5:52 PM
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