Toys

Stories from the 2023 archive: Cosmo's at a high country station in the far south, Leah checks in on a toy treasure trove in Te Puke and Sally's off grid with a former Wellington mayor. Audio

Aaron Ryan's taking the classic kiwi games which were popular between the 1970s, 80s and 90s and giving them an update. Audio

Dan Hurley is the proud owner of the Aramoho Toy Museum in Whanganui - which is home to 100,000 toys. He has operated the museum for more than 20 years, yet it has remained a secret to all but a… Audio

Dodoland marketing lead Kevin Topham speaks to Karyn Hay about the company's story. Audio

 A new study of canines showed that dogs often tilt their heads before correctly receiving a specific toy. Which suggests the behaviour might be a sign of concentration and recall. Dr. Andrea… Audio

New Zealander Carla-Maria Lawson has overseen numerous large television productions such as Masterchef and The Graham Norton Show but her most recent hit is The Repair Shop, which she refers to as her… Video, Audio

If you're around kids, you're probably aware of Pop-Its - a new type of so-called 'fidget toy' that gives a sensation like popping bubble wrap. Yet labelling such toys as a "new craze" minimises how… Audio

New Zealand based humanitarian organisation ReliefAid is launching a campaign to raise money for hula hoops, soccer balls and skipping roles for the children in refugee camps in Syria. Karyn speaks… Audio

Fisher-Price's "Snacks for Two" charcuterie board is for preschoolers age 3 and up called snooty and hipster by outraged parents online. Audio

A young South Korean YouTube star has just bought a $12 million dollar house in the fashionable Gangnam district of Seoul, from the money she's earned from her toy review videos. So, the Question of… Audio

Warwick Henderson is an antique toy collector. In the past he has curated two major antique toy and games exhibitions - featuring much of his own collection spanning 40 years of gathering antique… Audio, Gallery

Toys are an essential part of helping kids grow and learn. But not everyone is able to buy the latest toys and teach children how to play with them. That's where toy libraries come in.  Audio

If your family is struggling to complete a Lego set this holidays, you might not be alone. New Zealand researchers have just mathematically proven the brightly coloured bricks sets are now more… Audio

There's a Lego exhibition running in Wellington at the moment at Te Papa until mid February. Despite all the digital gadgets around, Lego is a toy children still love. As well as being exhibited at… Audio

John Austin is a toy designer for Hasbro and the author of Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction – a guide to creating slingshots, catapults and combustion shooters from components you’d find around the… Audio, Gallery

Colorado company Sphero is leading the way in next-generation toys. They've produced a scaled-down version of the Star Wars characters BB-8 and R2-D2 and an educational robot called SPRK. Video, Audio

McDonalds is being criticised for offering kids a choice or a girls or boys toys. Audio

Retired aircraft engineer Keith Martin and his wife Faith are doll doctors. Over the last 40 years they've saved about 10,000 dolls of all shapes and sizes. Audio, Gallery

New research shows how Lego has become much more violent over the years since being patented in 1958. Associate Professor Christoph Bartneck from the University of Canterbury's Human Interface… Audio