Play and Curation During the COVID-19 Pandemic - An Interview with Christopher Bensch, Andrew Borman, Michelle Parnett-Dwyer, and Nicolas Ricketts

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dipper

Interview with curators from The Strong National Museum of Play explores how play persisted during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and how collecting and preservation efforts adapted. Christopher Bensch describes at-home cooking and gardening as forms of tactile, immersive “flow.” Andrew Borman and Michelle Parnett-Dwyer recount family play that moved indoors, including online games, outdoor activities, crafting, and Montessori-inspired approaches. Nicolas Ricketts highlights chores, tinkering, and board games. The discussion also covers industry responses such as digital platforms, videos, and charity initiatives, plus challenges for toy stores and shifts toward curbside pickup and tailored bundles.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Interview Overview

Curators’ Personal Play During the Pandemic

Response of the Toy Industry to COVID-19

Play and Curation During the COVID-19 Pandemic An Interview with Christopher Bensch, Andrew Borman, Michelle Parnett-Dwyer, and Nicolas Ricketts Christopher Bensch is vice president for collections and chief curator at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. He oversees the acquisition ofand care for the world’s most comprehensive collection of playthings. He also serves as the primary spokesperson for the National Toy Hall of Fame. Andrew Borman is digital games curator at The Strong. He collects digital games and coordinates the museum’s digital game preservation efforts. Michelle Parnett-Dwyer is curator at The Strong. She collects and interpretsa comprehensive collection of toys and dolls. Nic Ricketts is curator at The Strong. He acquires and interprets the museum’s collection of board games, puzzles, and other nonelectronic games, as well as photographs, art, and paper ephemera. In this interview, The Strong’s curators discuss the impact of the pandemic on play and the museum’s collecting and preservation efforts. Key words: distance play; electronic games and COVID-19; medicine and toys; play at home; play during a pandemic; toys and diversity; toy industry and pandemics; toy scarcity in a pandemic American Journal of Play: The year 2020 will long be remembered as a time when a global pandemic shuttered schools, museums, playgrounds, and many other spaces where people gathered to play. Nevertheless, play has persisted in vital and important ways. How have you played during this challenging period? Christopher Bensch: Two major sources of play in my life are cooking and gardening. I treasured these at-home activities as they became even larger parts of my experience in 2020 because they let me immerse myself in practical, physical, and tactile experiences. In the midst of those activities, I could concentrate on being in the moment—that ideal state of “flow”that happens in the best types of play. When gardening diminished with the onset of fall and winter weather, food—planning for it, shopping for it, preparing it, enjoying it, cleaning up after it (less playful)—had an even 21 American Journal of Play, volume 13, number 1 © The Strong [Contact Christopher Bensch at bensch@museumofplay.org](Contact Christopher Bensch at bensch@museumofplay.org) larger role and gave me a daily and weekly rhythm when sometimes everyday felt like “Blursday.” Andrew Borman: Having a young child at home, play has been challenging during the pandemic. We have brought outside play indoors as much as possible, playing catch, going down the slide, and chasing each other, all while trying not to disrupt the neighbors in our building. Personally, I have increasingly played online video games more than I have in the past few years, with titles like Mario Kart Tour and its high-score challenge taking the place of in-person events. Michelle Parnett-Dwyer: I have a toddler and a preschooler at home, so there has been no shortage of things to do. In the summer months, we spent alot of time outdoors playing with our puppy, jumping on the trampoline, taking walks, and exploring parts of Rochester. Anything to get the excess energy out. A few generous neighbors left rows of bikes and ride-ons out for kids, so they took a few novelties out for a spin—a pink retro chopper tricycle and a Radio Flyer Inchworm. The colder months have been spent ice skating and crafting. I have found inspiration from other parents and educators of preschoolers on social media. I am drawn to people who bring nature into the playroom. We have crafted with sticks, stones, and leaves. I have especially enjoyed implementing the ideas in The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies. These activities are based on developing the whole child and focus on five main areas: eye-hand coordination, arts and crafts, language, practical life, and music and movement. Davies provides a chart of activities based on age. I also love the aesthetics of these activ

FAQs

How did the curators describe playing during the pandemic?

They emphasized adapting play at home—such as cooking, gardening, indoor play with young children, crafting, ice skating, and online video games—while trying to preserve moments of enjoyment and engagement.

What impact did the pandemic have on museum collecting and preservation efforts?

The interview focuses on how curators discussed the pandemic’s influence on the museum’s collecting and preservation work, alongside adaptations to keep games and related materials relevant and safeguarded.

How did the toy industry respond to COVID-19?

Toy companies provided proactive, accessible responses including shifting product focus, donating supplies, launching digital platforms with play-from-home content, and using educational resources and apps for children.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dipper