In playing a game, the learning and exercise come for free. Playing produces some of the most special times and most valuable lessons in life. Still, many teachers and parents consider the classroom and the playground to be worlds apart. When a young child plays with a toy, the interaction can be magic. Toys unlock that magic - part in the toy and part in the child's head.
Toys are the medium and the catalyst of play.
Recognizing the power of play, Hawley and company are fundamentally rethinking toys, exploring the convergence of digital technology and the toys of tomorrow - another case where bits and atoms meet. Computers have changed almost all forms of work. And, since play is the work of children, it is time to revisit the tools of their trade. The Internet is largely composed of desktop computers, assembled like the world's biggest pile of Tinkertoys. These days, many people talk of extending the network beyond desks and into all sorts of appliances, large and small.