Toys Matter: The Power of Playthings

The overarching conference theme, Toys Matter: The Power of Playthings, is designed to span the role toys play in our individual and collective identities, the various ways they reflect and shape our worlds (both positively or negatively), and the impact of technology, environmental concerns and societal/cultural crises on toy design, manufacture and use. Sessions will provide toy scholars and industry professionals opportunities to reflect on extant toy research while looking forward to expand our understanding of what counts as a toy, the power of playthings, and the many ways they matter -- for both children and adults. We invite work that examines the power of playthings both historically and in our ever-changing worlds, especially as we navigate these precarious and even perilous times. All play objects (i.e., physical, digital or hybrid) are included in the scope of toys to be discussed including games and indoor and outdoor play spaces.