Working on a paper?
​In a design studio?
are you a toy design keener?
​or a bit of a history buff?

We've got your back.
​
Below you'll find a few of our favourite resources on construction and building toys.

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In The Studio
​

• Environmental Design Toy Studio @ The University of Manitoba
  

• MIT Toy Lab

​

Books
​

• Architecture on the Carpet: The Curious Tale of Construction Toys and the Genesis of Modern Buildings - Brenda and ​Robert Vale (London: Thames & Hudson, 2013)

 

• Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry - David C. Robertson (New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2013)

 

• Century of the Child: Growing by Design 1900-2000 - Juliet Kinchin & Aidan O'Connor (New York: MOMA, 2012)

 

• Designing the Creative Child: Playthings and Places in Midcentury America - Amy F. Ogata (U of Minnesota Press, 2013)

 

• Designing for Kids -- Creating for Playing, Learning, and Growing - Krystina Castella (Routledge, 2019)

 

• Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Business Creativity - Michael Michalko (Ten Speed Press, 2006)​​

​​Films
​

• Arvind Gupta

​

• Beyond the Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary

 

• Cas Holman: Design for Play. Season 2, episode 4, The Art of Design (available on Netflix)

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Websites
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• Canadian Toy Association

 

• Cas Holman, Toy Designer

 

• Chicago Toy and Game Group (People of Play) website for young toy inventors. (Check out their design guide and their resources)

  

• Tinkerability

 

• The Toy Coach (be sure to check out all the podcasts about the toy industry, concept development, marketing and more!)

 

• Toy Industry Association -- see Toy Inventor & Designer Guide

​

• Women in Toys (student membership *free*)​

 

• PLAY WORK BUILD at the National Building Museum

 

• Rockwell Group's Imagination Playground