Make the Connection: A Parenting Podcast by Plus-Plus USA

Has your kid ever invented a board game, a card game, or a "new and improved" version of a family favorite? This episode is for you.

On Episode 6 of Make the Connection: A Parenting Podcast by Plus-Plus USA, host Jasmine Trocchia talks with Ahren Hoffman, director of the Young Inventor Challenge at People of Play, a division of The Toy Association.

Ahren has spent about 20 years in the toy industry, starting at the National Lekotek Center, a toy lending library for children with disabilities, where she reviewed more than 500 toys a year. Today she leads the Young Inventor Challenge, an international competition founded 21 years ago by People of Play founder Mary Couzin after her daughter invented a card game in fourth grade.

Kids ages 6 to 18 submit their toy and game inventions online, and toy industry judges score each one and give feedback. Young inventors can also pitch in person at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair, where winners are announced live. More than a dozen winners have gone on to be sold in stores, including Betcha Can't!, invented by two middle schoolers.

Ahren explains what a prototype needs to look like (toilet paper rolls and garage bins welcome), how much parents can help, and how to enter before the October 25 deadline. She previews ChiTAG, North America's largest public toy and game fair, happening November 7 and 8 in Rosemont, Illinois. And she shares the toy trends kid inventors are bringing to the table, from sensory squishies to slime. Sorry, moms: the slime is not going anywhere yet.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- What People of Play is and why it celebrates the people behind the toys

- How the Young Inventor Challenge works for kids ages 6 to 18

- How to build a prototype from things you already have at home

- How much parental help is allowed

- How kid-invented games make it to store shelves

- What to expect at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair

- Why your family's house rules might be your kid's first invention

- Sensory play, squishies, and slime: the trends kid inventors love

Ahren's advice for parents is simple: let your kid explore. Give them a pile of materials and see what they make. As she puts it, it's never too late to come up with an invention.

Resources mentioned:

- Young Inventor Challenge: chitag.com/yic (submissions due October 25)

- Chicago Toy & Game Fair, November 7 and 8, 2026, Rosemont, IL: chitag.com

- People of Play, a division of The Toy Association

About the show:

Make the Connection: A Parenting Podcast by Plus-Plus USA is a weekly show for moms and parents of kids ages 2 to 10 about play, parenting, and the everyday moments that bring families closer. New episodes every Wednesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Discover Plus-Plus, the one-shape building toy for quiet, independent, screen-free play: plusplususa.com

Follow Plus-Plus USA: @plusplususa on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube

If you have a young inventor at home, please follow, rate, and share this episode with a parent whose kid is always building something new.

#parentingpodcast #kidinventors #younginventorchallenge #chitag #boardgamedesign #maketheconnection #plusplususa #plusplustoy

What do you do when the help your child needs doesn't exist? You build it.

On Episode 5 of Make the Connection: A Parenting Podcast by Plus-Plus USA, host Jasmine Trocchia talks with Jason Hsieh, an autism dad, self-described ADHD entrepreneur, and the founder of the sensory toy company LakiKid and the toy marketing agency Toy Launch.

In 2013, Jason's son Keanu was diagnosed with autism and ADHD while the family was living in Tokyo. In a metro area of 20 million people, they could find only two service centers for kids with special needs. So they moved to the United States for better support, only to face behavioral therapy costs their insurance wouldn't cover. Jason started designing sensory toys on the weekends to help kids like his son, and ten years later he runs two businesses in the toy industry.

This conversation is full of honest, practical special needs parenting advice. Jason explains how weighted toys and a calm down corner can help kids who experience sensory overload, shares his take on whether squishies are a lasting sensory toy or just this year's trend, and opens up about the hardest year of his life, when his car became his own calm down corner.

His most powerful message is for moms: bring the dads into the conversation. Jason shares why fathers often feel disconnected after a diagnosis, how he moved through a year of denial, and why he credits his wife for pushing for the evaluation that changed everything. He also points dads toward the Special Father Network, which offers free mentorship from fathers who have walked the same road.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- Why one family left Tokyo in search of autism support

- How therapy costs turned an autism dad into a toy entrepreneur

- What a calm down corner is and how to set one up at home

- The sensory toys Jason recommends most for kids with autism and ADHD

- Why so many dads struggle after a diagnosis, and how moms can help

- Where special needs dads can find free mentorship

- What to do first if you have an idea for a new sensory toy

- Jason's holiday toy prediction and why he says to shop early this year

Whether you're navigating a new diagnosis, building a calm corner for your little one, or simply looking for connection, this episode is a reminder that raising kids takes a team. As Jasmine puts it, it takes "more like a metropolis than a village."

Resources mentioned:

- LakiKid sensory toys

- Toy Launch, digital marketing for toy and game brands

- Toy Business Unboxed podcast, hosted by Jason Hsieh

- Special Father Network, free mentorship for dads of kids with special needs

About the show:

Make the Connection: A Parenting Podcast by Plus-Plus USA is a weekly show for moms and parents of kids ages 2 to 10 about play, parenting, and the everyday moments that bring families closer. New episodes every Wednesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Discover Plus-Plus, the one-shape building toy for quiet, independent, screen-free play: plusplususa.com

Follow Plus-Plus USA: @plusplususa on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube

If this episode helped you, please follow, rate, and share it with a parent who needs to hear they're not alone.

#parentingpodcast #autismparenting #specialneedsparenting #sensorytoys #calmdowncorner #maketheconnection #plusplususa #plusplustoy

How do you limit screen time without a daily battle, and how do you pick toys your kids will actually play with? In Episode 4 of Make the Connection: A Parenting Podcast by Plus-Plus USA, host Jasmine Trocchia sits down with Hilary Key, owner of the Brown County Toy Chest in Nashville, Indiana, the oldest toy store in the state, for real-world parenting tips from someone who lives and breathes play

Hilary's path to toy retail was anything but linear. Two years into a neuroscience PhD, she realized grad school was the first time in her life she had stopped playing. She walked into the toy store she grew up visiting, asked for a job, and bought the business at just 24. Today she is a mom of two, a Certified Play Expert, and the leader of a team where every staff member is now certified, too. Her background in child development and brain science shapes every toy recommendation she makes.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- The simple screen time rule that made board games, building, and family game night the easy choice in Hilary's house

- Why open-ended play is so beneficial for kids, and why it can feel hard at first (plus how to scaffold your way there)

- How a toy consultation works, from "what age is the little one?" to finding the right fit for your child's interests and developmental stage

- Why this is "the year of the squish," and what the demand for sensory toys says about kids and screens

- Hilary's holiday and Black Friday predictions, including why smaller gifts and craft kits for all ages are trending

- Why fewer, higher-quality toys that match a child's age and stage beat a playroom full of stuff

- How to find the right board games for your family, even if you think you don't like board games

- Why Plus-Plus has stayed in her house for years (including an unforgettable axolotl wedding)

We also talk about the science of play, learning through play, how toy shopping can strengthen the connection between parents and kids, and the surprising number of adults rediscovering play for themselves. Hilary shares her biggest win of the year, too: finally beating business burnout after a long growth season, a story any busy mom will recognize.

If you have ever stood in a toy aisle feeling overwhelmed, wondered whether your child is getting too much screen time, or bought a gift that never left the box, this conversation will leave you encouraged and equipped. As Hilary says to every mom listening: "It's hard. You're doing great."

About our guest:

Hilary Key owns the Brown County Toy Chest, a specialty toy store in a big blue Victorian house in Nashville, Indiana, near Bloomington. The store ships custom toy packages nationwide through its Let Us Shop For You service, including birthday boxes, board game bundles, and holiday helpers, and goes live on Facebook five days a week.

Find Hilary and the Brown County Toy Chest:

Website: browncountytoychest.com

Facebook and Instagram: @BrownCountyToyChest

About the show:

Make the Connection: A Parenting Podcast by Plus-Plus USA is a weekly conversation for moms and parents of kids ages 2 to 10 about play, parenting, and the moments that bring families closer. New episodes every Wednesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Discover Plus-Plus, the one-shape building toy for quiet, independent, screen-free play: plusplususa.com

Follow Plus-Plus USA: @plusplususa on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube

If this episode helped you, please follow, rate, and share it with a mom who needs it.

#parentingpodcast #parentingtips #screentime #openendedplay #timewellplayed #plusplususa #plusplustoy

What does it take to build a decade-long toy brand around a single, unchanging shape? On this episode of Make the Connection with Plus-Plus USA, host Jasmine sits down with Ryan Hamilton, CEO of Plus-Plus USA, for a personal conversation about creativity, constraint, and what actually helps kids develop during play.

Ryan has spent almost 25 years in the toy industry, starting as a sales rep, then opening his own toy store with his wife in 2003, and later working as a toy buyer at Barnes & Noble. In 2012, at a toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany, he discovered a little-known Scandinavian building toy called Plus-Plus, which at the time had never been sold outside Scandinavia and was used almost exclusively in schools. Ryan brought it to the U.S., co-founded Plus-Plus USA with Plus-Plus Denmark in 2016, and has spent the last decade growing it into the brand it is today. He's also the inventor of Hexel, Plus-Plus's patented fidget toy and winner of the 2025 Specialty Toy of the Year award.

Ryan and Jasmine dig into why Plus-Plus has committed to one shape and will never introduce a second one, no matter how many times people ask for a minifigure or a rounded edge. Ryan explains the philosophy of constraint-based creativity: why fewer options for kids leads to more imaginative play, and why he thinks of Plus-Plus less like a construction toy and more like a creative medium, in the same family as crayons or Play-Doh.

The conversation goes beyond the product itself and into a bigger question every parent asks at some point: what actually matters when it comes to play? Ryan shares what he wishes every mom knew about hands-on, three-dimensional play, why he believes it literally builds gray matter in a way screens can't replicate, and how he balances screen time with encouraging more open-ended play at home.

Along the way, Ryan opens up about his all-time favorite toys, shares his honest read on where toy trends are heading, from the rise and likely fall of squishy and fidget trends to a resurgence of analog and Montessori-style play, and tells the invention story behind Hexel, from cutting notches into pieces on his own table saw to winning Toy of the Year, voted on by retailers.

Ryan closes with a candid take on the real challenge facing a toy company like Plus-Plus: not competition, but awareness, in a U.S. toy market where more than half of everything sold is tied to a licensed character. His advice for the parents, teachers, and grandparents who already love Plus-Plus is simple: tell a friend.

In this episode:

- How Ryan discovered Plus-Plus and brought it to the U.S. in 2012

- Why Plus-Plus committed to one shape instead of expanding the product line

- The philosophy of constraint-based creativity and open-ended play

- What Ryan wants parents to know about hands-on play versus screen time

- Ryan's honest take on current and upcoming toy trends

- The invention story behind Hexel, Plus-Plus's patented fidget toy

- Why awareness, not competition, is Ryan's biggest challenge as CEO

- Ryan's all-time favorite toys and what he still collects today

This episode is for parents looking for something more thoughtful than "just put the screen down," for anyone curious how a single-shape toy brand builds real staying power, and for longtime Plus-Plus fans who want the origin story straight from the person who brought it to the U.S.

Make the Connection with Plus-Plus USA is a podcast about the people, ideas, and everyday moments behind creative play. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow or subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss a conversation.

Learn more at plusplususa.com.

#maketheconnection #plusplususa #plusplustoy

This week Jasmine sits down with Ava N. Simmons — better known as Ava The STEM Ambassador™ — the 13-year-old founder of Team Genius Squad, a screen-free STEAM toy brand she built after being diagnosed with dyslexia in 2021. Ava talks about why hands-on play changed her relationship with learning, what she wants moms everywhere to know about letting kids discover on their own, and how her "challenge" became the reason her company exists.

In this episode:

• 0:00 – Meet Ava: entrepreneur, author, and founder of Team Genius Squad
• 0:48 – Her dyslexia diagnosis and why it sparked Team Genius Squad
• 1:14 – Why science matters, and why kids need to play with it
• 1:54 – Her message to moms: "let kids play"
• 2:15 – Her all-time favorite toy (and why hands-on wins every time)
• 2:51 – The most important part of play, in her own words
• 3:12 – Her book, and why she wrote it
• 4:03 – Life as an author, toy designer, and PBS Kids host
• 4:55 – Telly Award win, America's Favorite Student honor, and working with The Planetary Society
• 5:40 – Why she's screen-free by choice, not just by rule
• 6:59 – Where to find Ava and Team Genius Squad

About Ava: Ava N. Simmons is a STEM Ambassador, entrepreneur, toy designer, and author, and the creator of Team Genius Squad — a movement built around hands-on, screen-free STEM learning for kids ages 5–13. She hosts Mini Fab Science Lab on PBS Kids (Rootle), a 2026 Telly Award–winning series, and is the author of Ava Finds Her Inner Genius Using STEM.

Find Ava & Team Genius Squad:

• Website: teamgeniussquad.com
• Shop: shop.teamgeniussquad.com
• Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn & TikTok: @teamgeniussquad

Jasmine is joined by Bret Faber, Vice President of Sales for Plus-Plus USA, for a practical conversation about how toys get selected, why specialty stores still matter, and what parents should look for when they're overwhelmed in the toy aisle. Bret also shares how becoming a parent changed the way he thinks about toys, from pure sales to products that are both fun and meaningful.

We discuss the retail side of the toy industry, the difference between a toy that keeps a kid occupied and one that truly engages them, and why the best toy choices often come from a balanced mix of fun, curiosity, and development.

In this episode...

• Bret Faber shares his path into the toy industry, starting in buying at JCPenney and moving through Applause, Wild Republic, and eventually Plus-Plus USA.
• In this episode, Bret explains how Plus-Plus first came into the business through a company called Geared for Imagination before becoming the focus of the brand.
• We discuss how Bret and Ryan tested early product ideas with their children, using honest kid reactions as a real-world filter for what belonged in their portfolio.
• Bret breaks down a common misconception: toys do not simply "show up" on shelves by magic, and getting products into stores involves a lot of behind-the-scenes work.
• He explains why specialty toy stores still matter, especially for discovery, unique assortment, and knowledgeable staff.
• Bret shares advice for parents standing in a crowded toy aisle: ask store employees, do a quick bit of research, and look for stores that specialize in toys.
• We discuss the difference between toys that are just entertaining and toys that also support creativity and development, with Bret emphasizing that fun still comes first.
• Bret reflects on how having kids changed his perspective, making him more selective about the kinds of toys he wanted to sell.
• He answers a creative question about selling a non-toy as a toy by pointing to music, toy instruments, and seeing everyday objects through a more playful lens.
• Bret closes with advice for parents to avoid stress, make room for variety, and think of toy choices the way they think about a balanced diet.

00:00 - Introducing Bret Faber and his role at Plus-Plus USA

00:50 - How Bret got into the toy industry and his early buying career

02:27 - From multiple toy lines to Plus-Plus and building a company together

03:19 - Using kids as the first focus group for new products

05:00 - What parents often misunderstand about how toys get onto shelves

07:00 - Why specialty toy stores still matter in a changing retail landscape

09:39 - Advice for overwhelmed parents choosing between similar toys

11:08 - Fun versus developmental value in toy selection

12:17 - The moment Bret realized why he loved the toy business

14:12 - If a non-toy could be sold as a toy, why music would be his choice

16:04 - Advice for young moms choosing toys for toddlers and preschoolers

17:33 - Bret's closing thoughts on Plus-Plus and thanks to parents