Connect with us

People & Blogs

What was your favorite toy growing up? #TEDTalks

What was your favorite toy when you were a kid? Your answer might reveal more about you than you expect, says toy historian Chris Byrne. From Matchbox cars and Barbie to Rubik’s Cube and Squishmallows, he explores how playthings reflect cultural values and influence who you become as an adult.

Published

on

What was your favorite toy when you were a kid? Your answer might reveal more about you than you expect, says toy historian Chris Byrne. From Matchbox cars and Barbie to Rubik’s Cube and Squishmallows, he explores how playthings reflect cultural values and influence who you become as an adult.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. @diannejohnson6591

    June 28, 2026 at 12:04 pm

    Tennis Racket!🎉

  2. @bklynmyke

    June 28, 2026 at 12:09 pm

    I played with G. I. Joe’s, Transformers, TMNT’s, and He-Man. Guess I’m bound to taking over the universe in a heroic way. I better step on it. I’m 49 and very much not a muscle-bound robot turtle.

    • @stevievaughan5096

      June 28, 2026 at 3:35 pm

      i see your point but i feel like the topic was *how* people played with the toys and not *what* toys people played with. you and someone else couldve played with the exact same toys and that other person could become a totally different person than you because it’s about play styles!

    • @bklynmyke

      June 28, 2026 at 3:41 pm

      @stevievaughan5096 No. I get that. I understand what he’s talking about completely. I was just making a joke. Nothing more. Don’t read too much into it. Although I will say this, and it is strictly my humble opinion, this is yet another in a long line of TED talks that didn’t need to be a TED talk.

  3. @StanMiller-g4w

    June 28, 2026 at 12:30 pm

    Revelatory understanding! What an eye opener! Never thought about barbies that way, but it makes total sense. My favorite toys growing up was hot wheels, so now, I am obsessed with classic cars from the 50s and 60s. Who woulda thunk? 🤔

  4. @RebeccaJourney-Smith

    June 28, 2026 at 1:02 pm

    Outside, I did have a Barbie though.

  5. @JenniferJaws5283

    June 28, 2026 at 2:00 pm

    My favorite toy as a child was a Blue radio that had a wrist band attached to it so I could take it with me everywhere I went. I have no memory of actually playing with toy dolls. I read, colored, loved unicorns , Pegasus and the ocean, and animals. I tried to make food from the earth – like mud pies covered in flowers because I hated hotdogs and eating peas and drinking milk. Now I am a devoted vegetarian for life.

  6. @LucindaStJohn

    June 28, 2026 at 6:24 pm

    I would say , the piano ! I read a lot , and drew . But more than anything I played the piano and danced .

  7. @truespartan1000

    June 28, 2026 at 8:28 pm

    This is some midwit nonsense 😂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

People & Blogs

Welcome to My AI Surrealist World | David Szauder | TED

Step inside artist David Szauder’s mind, where strange, extravagantly dressed characters live in an ever-changing opera. In this visually stunning talk, he presents a digitally rewired world — part AI-generated dreamscape, part inner theater — and probes the line between artist and algorithm. (Recorded at TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025) Join us in person…

Published

on

Step inside artist David Szauder’s mind, where strange, extravagantly dressed characters live in an ever-changing opera. In this visually stunning talk, he presents a digitally rewired world — part AI-generated dreamscape, part inner theater — and probes the line between artist and algorithm. (Recorded at TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Art

Continue Reading

People & Blogs

When Afghanistan fell again, here’s how Malala Yousafzai rediscovered hope #TEDTalks

Malala Yousafzai has spent her life advocating for girls’ education — surviving an assassination attempt at 15, meeting with world leaders and then watching hard-won progress collapse when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021. That moment of despair forced her to completely rethink what it means to create change, and what she discovered replaced…

Published

on

Malala Yousafzai has spent her life advocating for girls’ education — surviving an assassination attempt at 15, meeting with world leaders and then watching hard-won progress collapse when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021. That moment of despair forced her to completely rethink what it means to create change, and what she discovered replaced her shattered optimism with something more powerful and more honest. Hear how to keep fighting for the future you want, even when hope feels lost.

Continue Reading

People & Blogs

Origami, the Ancient Art Form Solving Modern Problems | Miles Wu | TED

14-year-old student Miles Wu is obsessed with origami, transforming everyday scraps of paper into unexpected creations. In a joyful talk, he explores the ancient art form — from making Christmas ornaments and pigeons to folding patterns that can hold 10,000 times their weight — and shows all the possibilities hiding inside a single piece of…

Published

on

14-year-old student Miles Wu is obsessed with origami, transforming everyday scraps of paper into unexpected creations. In a joyful talk, he explores the ancient art form — from making Christmas ornaments and pigeons to folding patterns that can hold 10,000 times their weight — and shows all the possibilities hiding inside a single piece of paper. (Recorded at Play@TED on May 14, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Design

Continue Reading

Trending