We're kicking off Season 8 of The Playground Podcast with two conversations about changing retail environments.

Retail in the toy business has always been dynamic. Howeverthe last 30 years since the launch of eBay and Amazon has seen almost constant evolution.

Today, we are at the forefront of yet another development—social shopping.

Already established in China, where I got to see this phenomenon in action—and the power of reaching a targeted, responsive audience—it will inevitably gain traction worldwide. Just look at TikTok Shop.

To get a better view of the medium and the opportunities fortoymakers, I sat down with Nic Jones of Situaction UK. Nic has been around the toy biz for 30 years, and his company a leader in the current conversation about Social Shopping.

Listen in as we explore the medium and the opportunities.

I have been hoping to land this guest for a while—and finally the stars aligned.

 Azhelle Wade is the Toy Coach. If you’re in the toy industry, I’m pretty sure you know her—or at least know of her. After a dynamic career in product development,vshe has devoted herself to helping creators bring their visions of playthingsto life.

In the years I’ve known Azhelle, every conversation we’ve had has been fun, informative, and filled with laughter. One thing we share is an understanding of the joy that toys can create for kids—complemented by the realities of a sometimes challenging industry. I’m so happy to share one of our wide-ranging talks with allof you.

The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy News, The Toy Guy, and Beacon Media Group.

In our 7th annual year and review, James Zahn of The Toy Book and Toy Insider and John Baulch of Toy World UK join Chris to look back at the toy year for 2025...and ahead at what may be in the future.

From tariffs to K-Pop Demon Hunters to the dynamic retail environment, we look at many (but by no means all) of the topics that have shaped 2025 and will continue to affect the toy business as we move ahead.

Eric Ostendorff spent more than 30 years at Mattel where he invented and protyped Hot Wheels sets and electromechanical products, earning more than 50 patents for his creative endeavors.

 Eric is a true industry veteran with the stories to prove it, and it was a pleasure to hear some of them—and share them with all of you.

After you listen, come back and check out these links he refers to:

HW prototype set.   It's still sold!

Modified Fireball set. 

Letterman Year 1: 

Letterman year 2: 

With more than a decade of experience across the U.S. and global markets, Audrey Birner is the U.S. Insight Director for Beano Brain.

She’s a youth culture expert helping brands understand and engage kids, tweens, teens and their families. She believes the only way to truly understand Gen Alpha and Gen Z is to hear the unfiltered truth straight from the young people themselves.

Chris sat down with Audrey to get inside the heads of the folks who get inside the heads of these kids, and we think you’ll find the conversation, interesting, energetic and informative.

Why do we love robots so much? Especially as toys?  And for so long? I think it’s because toy robots perfectly reflect embody the intersection of imagination, play, and technology.

Robots reflect our fundamental curiosity about life itself—what it means to move, think, or act independently. For children, they are magical objects that blur the line between the inanimate and the animate, allowing them to project stories of adventure, control, and companionship. For adults, robot toys oftenreflect deeper cultural hopes and anxieties about progress, automation, and the future.

In this episode, Chris talksto Jamie Zhang, Senior Director and CFO of Robosen.The company has made a splash with its super, sophisticated robots based on Buzz Lightyear and Optimus Prime. In September 2025, they have introduced a Mini line starting with eight Toy Story characters and many more to come.

Jamie and Chris talk about robotics, developing a line of well-priced, yet sophisticated best friends that give consumers new ways to express their fandom and connect with their favorite characters on a personal level.

Among the many issues currently bouncing around the toy biz,AI is one a lot of people are talking about, thinking about, and looking at ways to integrate it into play experiences.

In this episode, Chris talks to Misha Sallee, CEO of Curio. Thecompany’s first products are AI-powered playmates that can make play engaging,educational, and more fun. We talk about his toys, and AI’s potential for toys.

And, in a Playground Podcast first, I also get to interview a toy…in real time.

The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy News, TheToy Guy, and Beacon Media Group.

Listen in to a really special episode. We’re talking about aprogram that’s near and dear to my heart, the Young Inventor’s Challenge. I’m joined by program director Ahren Hoffman, Amy Saldana from kiddywampus, Hilary Key from The Toy Chest, and Julie Burczyk from Tools for Teaching.

We talk about how these leading specialty retailers have I integrated the Young Inventors Challenge into their businesses and why it's consistenlty a success.

Now in its 20th year, this a powerful program that inspiresyoung people, celebrates the essential nature of play, and for specialty retailers helps them build community. By the way, it’s a great opportunity for sponsors as well.

Find out more here.

Matt Brown is one of the coolest and most thoughtful guys inthe toy business. His dedication to play and kids is always inspiring.

Over the years, since he entered our industry with Zoob,Matt and Chris have had many conversations about the role of play in children’s lives and why play is so critical to all of us.

In this conversation, we talk about how play literally shapes kids' brains, uses of AI to support play, Matt's new project, the Kibeam Wand that has the potential to transform learning to read, and much more.

Listen in to this lively conversation.

Sue Warfield is the president of ASTRA, and a good friend.She has been a passionate leader of her organization and an equally passionate proponent of play and its value in culture.

In this episode, Chris talks with Sue about their shared perspectives on play and its role in child development, and the necessity of play in building healthy children.

The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy News, The Toy Guy® and Beacon Media Group.