The History Hour - The history of toys
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
We learn about how Play-Doh evolved from a cleaning product to a childhood favourite and the creation of one of the best-selling board games of all time, Catan.
Our guest is the editor of Toy World Magazine, Caroline Tonks, who takes us through the history of toy crazes.
We also hear about the invention of the hoverboard, and how the Tamagotchi allowed people to have their own virtual pet.
Plus, how the family favourite game, Jenga, was born in 1970s Ghana.
And our Sporting Witness looks at how a piece of software revolutionised the game of football through data analysis.
Contributors:
Peg Roberts – daughter of Kay Zufall
Benjamin Teuber – son of Catan inventor Klaus Teuber
Caroline Tonks – editor of Toy World Magazine
Shane Chen – the inventor of the hoverboard
Akihiro Yokoi – the inventor of the Tamgotchi
Leslie Scott – the creator of the game Jenga
Ramm Mylavaganam – inventor of ProZone
(Photo: The Tamagotchi was introduced in 1996 and is one of the best-selling toys in history. Credit: Reuters)
Published on Saturday, 27th December 2025.
Available Podcasts from The History Hour
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