The Genius of Play, The Toy Association’s nonprofit initiative dedicated to helping parents raise healthy and happy kids through play, today announced the launch of “Once Upon a Playtime”, a first-of-its-kind storytelling podcast that invites listeners to rediscover the value of play through real-life, personal stories of actors, artists, entrepreneurs, and more.
Each episode of “Once Upon a Playtime” features a fascinating guest who found their path to success and personal fulfillment by keeping their favorite way of playing alive. The first season’s guests include actress and activist Alicia Silverstone, Baked by Melissa Co-Founder & CEO Melissa Ben-Ishay, and world-famous LEGO sculptor Nathan Sawaya. Designed for parents and their kids to listen to together, interviews delve into the guests’ childhood play memories and explore the role of play in shaping their future personality and path. They have been turned into engaging 15-minute long storytime experiences suitable for all ages.
“Whether it was playing with dolls or sailing on imaginary backyard pirate ships, chances are each of us had a favorite way to play as a child and in many ways, that playtime inspired what each of us does today, our interests, our hobbies, and an array of critical lifelong skills,” said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association, the group that spearheads The Genius of Play. “From thinking creatively to building confidence to learning how to deal with failure, play helps children discover their passions and gives them the essential tools they need to build a solid foundation for success as an adult. We are excited to explore this fascinating topic through the personal stories of our guests in this unique new podcast series!”
Once Upon a Playtime is a production of The Genius of Play made in partnership with FRQNCY Media. The podcast was made possible by a generous grant from The Toy Foundation. It is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever podcasts are found, as well as on www.thegeniusofplay.org.