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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.
@diannejohnson6591
June 28, 2026 at 12:04 pm
Tennis Racket!🎉
@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.
@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? 🤔
@RebeccaJourney-Smith
June 28, 2026 at 1:02 pm
Outside, I did have a Barbie though.
@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.
@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 .
@truespartan1000
June 28, 2026 at 8:28 pm
This is some midwit nonsense 😂