Untangling Toys

Try as we might to fill up our day with productive work, oftentimes that business results in never having any quiet time. Even quiet, seemingly unproductive bored times. But boredom is just the beginning, a blank space, for our imaginations to begin playing. So how can you be bored again? 

John Cleese's speech Creativity in Managment

Learn more about Dr. Stuart Brown, his book "Play: How it Shapes the Brian, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul," and the National Institute for Play herehttps://www.playcore.com/drstuartbrown 

Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We covered a lot of games, so if you ever need a refresher on how to play a game, check out Watch It Played for easy-to-follow game tutorials. 

Other games from this episode: 

-Chip Theory Games 

-Too Many Bones 

-Fuji Flush

-Cosmoctopus

-Arkham Horror 

-Arkham Horror The Card Game

-Clank 

-Clank Legacy

-Oink Games

-DroPoulter 

-Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective 

Check out your neighborhood to see if there's a board game shop like Games By James you can support or a games cafe like The Guildhouse where you can play games and meet other gamers!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has LEGO become too complicated? Is it a building toy where you make things and then take them apart to create more? Or is it a model kit where you carefully follow the instructions and then permanently display your finished work? We'll look at the trends in LEGO models and which themes invite builders to tear things apart and start anew.

Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How is waking up early to put on an elaborate costume you spent weeks making, walking a long way to a convention center, and standing around in the cold waiting to take pictures a form of play? Welcome to the world of Cosplay. I interview at least five veteran cosplayers about how they got into this form of play, what it takes to be a cosplayer, and what they get out of it year after year. I even get dressed up too for this episode shot on location at Wondercon 2024!

A big thanks to all the cosplayers for sharing their love of creativity and costuming. You see more of their cosplays on their instagrams:

https://www.instagram.com/erikaalamode/

https://www.instagram.com/ricknerdvarro/

https://www.instagram.com/sweetheart_cosplays

https://www.instagram.com/abonilla84/

https://www.instagram.com/evilqueencharlotte/

https://www.instagram.com/sincerelychrista/

Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is play unique to people? Or do animals also play? Sure, we've all seen a dog play with a ball or a cat play with a mouse or a nematode play with global banking systems, but is that actually play? Is play a crucial part of life in the animal kingdom? And what can we humans learn from our furry and feathered friends? 

On this episode of Untangling Toys, I talks to primate researcher Dani Steinberg about her research into play and primates. From the volcanic jungles of Rwanda to the Santa Ana Zoo, Dani has studied the life and play of primates of all kinds. 

Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the definition of play? It's not easy to define, but we're going to try with the help of Dr. Stuart Brown's book "Play." I'll go through his seven properties of play, with various examples and mixed metaphors, and then we'll get to playing with Magna-Tiles. Or Picasso Tiles. Or Connetix? There sure are a lot of magnetic building toys out there. What makes a good one? What makes it a good toy? Do I still have a cold? Find out on this week's episode of "Sam Learns to Make a Podcast by Making a Podcast."

Learn more about Dr. Stuart Brown, his book "Play: How it Shapes the Brian, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul," and the National Institute for Play here https://www.playcore.com/drstuartbrown

Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is episode 4 too soon to do a Q&A? Well, we're doing one. What was my first toy? How abstract should toys be? Can older kids still play with toys? And how did I become a Master Model Builder? Thank you for your questions. They gave me a lot to think about and even ideas for future episodes! I look forward to doing another Q&A in the future. 

Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kids are natural improvisers, so here are some beginner techniques to play makeup and make believe with the best of them! 

Learn more about John Finnemore on his blog https://johnfinnemore.blogspot.com/. "A Flock of Tigers" is episode 1 of series one of John Finnemore's Double Acts https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06gx5qm. Kind of hard to find a stream of it, so you may have to purchase the album. Or check your local library, especially their Libby streaming service. There are all kinds of Story Cards out there depending on what age and theme, even for adults! 

Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How long should toys last? Are they supposed to be heirloom quality pieces, or something fun and worry-free for the here and now? Wooden toys have often been both, and wooden trains have gone even further by creating a whole ecosystem of play that has grown far beyond simple wooden engines and tracks. 

Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first episode, so of course we're talking about the most popular, cutting-edge toy of all time: cardboard! You can find MakeDo's kit's athttps://www.make.do/. And you can find cardboard pretty much anywhere. 

Check out more of Sam's LEGO and toy videos at www.youtube.com/@samsuksiri

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices