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Hosted by Chris Byrne · 🇺🇸 US · EN · 212 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
Join Chris Byrne, The Toy Guy® as he presents a series of interviews with industry experts will tackle the topics of the toys, culture, toy history and talk with some of the leading people in the business of toys and children’s entertainment. Designed for anyone interested in toys, play and great stories, each weekly episode will feature engaging, entertaining conversation, useful information, insights, tales of the toys that we’ll never forget and so much more.As they say, if it concerns toys and play, we’ll be kicking it around in The Playground.
Chris Byrne hosts The Playground Podcast, a kids show with 212 episodes published.
If you’ve listened to the podcast before, you know we'repassionate about the role of play in children’s development and lives and increasingly about the essential nature of play for children’s healthcare. We're always th
This episode was recorded at Sweet Suite in New York on July 8.Here it July—halfway through the year, and with Sweet Wuite, sponsored by the Toy Insider, the holidays have started. The shw is increasingly being seen by t
As a kid, host Chris Byrne loved science toys. People whoknow him know that he especially liked making things that blew up. However, since about 1972, thanks to the CPSC, toy science kits haven’t included componentsfor m
Revitalizing and relaunch a brand almost 30 years after itsintroduction is never an easy task. However, when the brand was as popular and influential as the iconic Backyard Sports franchise of the late 1990s and early 20
In the dynamic world of marketing in today’s toy industry, staying on top of best practices isn’t always easy. This is especially true when it comes to influencers. Fortunately, we have some insights that may prove enlig
This is a special edition of The Playground Podcast. In the wake of the Supreme Court Ruling on February 20 that President Trump’s imposition of tariffs exceeded his authority to do so, there has been a lot of confusion
In our second conversation about the emerging medium of social shopping, we sat down with Lee Parkhurst of Parkhurst marketing. I’ve known and admired Lee for years for his strategic thinking, insights, and the pure joy
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 Am
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 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-P
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 w
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
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
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 Sa
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
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 conv
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 a
He's created a sensation from his kitchen table. This is one of those wonderful, classic toy biz stories about a great idea that finds its way. With a combination of creativity, ingenuity, social media, and timing, Josh
In this episode, Chris talks to Brea Brand, founder of the Australian-based magnetic tile company Connetix. With a combination of passion, creativity, and a commitment to excellence, Brand and her company have made a str
One of the most important components of any toy program inthis highly competitive and crowded market is a strategic media program. Given the proliferation of platforms, changes in demographics and emerging product catego
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The Playground Podcast is hosted by Chris Byrne. The show is categorised under kids (family) and has published 212 episodes.
The Playground Podcast has published 212 episodes.
The Playground Podcast regularly covers kids, family. It sits in the kids category, with a family focus.
The Playground Podcast is accessible for guests with genuine kids expertise. A personalised, episode-aware pitch will still outperform a generic one every time.
The Playground Podcast hasn't explicitly signalled guest openness in recent episodes. That doesn't rule out pitching. your hook just needs to be especially compelling and relevant to their recent content.
Episodes of The Playground Podcast average 32 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
Our data rates The Playground Podcast's guest bar at 80/100 (Premium tier). Established thought leaders with verified media credentials. Sign in to PitchCentric to see how your own Pod Score compares against this show.
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