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Tune in for inspiring talks and playful experiences exploring the power of play. Hosted by comedian and How to Be a Better Human podcast host Chris Duffy, Play@TED unfolds across three sessions of TED Talks, interactive moments, and conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and young innovators. Together, they reveal how play can spark curiosity, strengthen connections, and help us navigate an ever-changing world.

Let’s Reimagine Play

What if play isn’t a break from learning and work, but the engine behind them?

Play@TED is a partnership between TED, the LEGO Group, and the LEGO Foundation aimed at inspiring a global movement to transform how we think about play. Together we will showcase how creative play can be a game-changer and help shape brighter minds, braver ideas, and a more imaginative future for everyone.

Play@TED Originals

Discover new talks and animated lessons exploring the science, history, and transformative power of play.

Origami, the ancient art form solving modern problems

14-year-old student Miles Wu is obsessed with origami, transforming everyday scraps of paper into unexpected creations. In a joyful talk, he explores the ancient art form — from making Christmas ornaments and pigeons to folding patterns that can hold 10,000 times their weight — and shows all the possibilities hiding inside a single piece of paper.

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Origami, the ancient art form solving modern problems

6:11

14-year-old student Miles Wu is obsessed with origami, transforming everyday scraps of paper into unexpected creations. In a joyful talk, he explores the ancient art form — from making Christmas ornaments and pigeons to folding patterns that can hold 10,000 times their weight — and shows all the possibilities hiding inside a single piece of paper.

Why the best ideas come from play

Coaches kept telling Maxwell Pearce to stick to the fundamentals. Good thing he didn't listen. A Harlem Globetrotter and artist, he went on to build a global reputation for gravity-defying dunks and a theory that the same playful rule-breaking is what powers progress in every field. In this joyful talk, he makes the case that play isn't the opposite of serious work — it's the secret ingredient behind it.

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Why the best ideas come from play

9:55

Coaches kept telling Maxwell Pearce to stick to the fundamentals. Good thing he didn't listen.

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The missing ingredient in how we learn.

Before the last few centuries, children around the world spent most of their time learning through play: observing and mimicking adults, roaming their surroundings, and sharing what they learned with friends and family. Many communities and educators still believe play is one of the best teachers we have. Explore the benefits and challenges of using self-directed play-based learning in schools.

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The missing ingredient in how we learn.

5:49

Before the last few centuries, children around the world spent most of their time learning through play: observing and mimicking adults, roaming their surroundings, and sharing what they learned with friends and family. Many communities and educators still believe play is one of the best teachers we have. Explore the benefits and challenges of using self-directed play-based learning in schools.

Explore More Play@TED Videos

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I am...

Get Involved!
A man carrying a young child on his shoulders against an orange background with four large peach circles.
a parent

Never Stop Playing!

Play doesn’t require perfection, extra hours in the day, or elaborate plans from parents and caregivers. It shows up in small, meaningful ways — in laughter, in nudges, in curiosity, and in simply being present together.
What can you do?
an educator

Let Play Lead Learning!

Play doesn’t require extra time, perfect conditions, or a complete overhaul of your curriculum. It can live in everyday moments — in curiosity, in exploration, in collaboration, and in giving students the space to think, try, and imagine.
What can you do?
Man in gray suit and red tie speaking into a microphone during an interview.
a policy maker

Make Play Possible!

The future belongs to children who play. Yet play is continually undervalued and deprioritised in an over structured world. Packed schedules, limited public space, and unequal access to safe environments have left many children without the freedom or opportunity to play. We need your help to create a world where every child’s right to play is respected, protected and fulfilled.
What can you do?

Discover Ways to Take Part

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