Ozlem Cankaya:
A Leading Voice in Play Research

We featured Ozlem Cankaya's research on loose parts in a recent blog post because we value her leading expertise on the value of open-ended play. So we were thrilled to see her featured in the latest publication from the International Toy Research Association, and even more thrilled to see the photo she chose to accompany her profile. It’s a snapshot from a recent workshop we ran together! Dr Cankaya is sharing groundbreaking insights on the power of play. Here’s what her most recent research is saying.

A researcher putting play at the centre

In the newsletter, Ozlem describes play as a "window into children's thinking." She sees it as a lens through which we can observe how children reason, solve problems, test ideas, and respond to the materials around them. Toys, in her view, aren't just objects. They're tools that reveal how children imagine and make sense of the world, while also reflecting the cultural and technological environments they grow up in. It's a perspective that resonates deeply with everything we believe about learning through play: A child can dream up amazing toys with upcycled cardboard and Makedo tools, but will also be building their own learning and finding new ways to make sense of their world.

Ozlem is an Assistant Professor at MacEwan University. Before that, she was a research scientist at PolicyWise for Children & Families, and she's contributed to global efforts through her work with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Earlier in her career, she taught kindergarten in Thailand. She describes this experience as shaping her understanding of how culture, context, and materials influence children's play.

Building a play centre — with a little help from Makedo

In her newsletter profile, Ozlem shares the project she's most excited about right now: developing a play centre at MacEwan University. She sees this as a place where children can engage in open-ended play with cardboard and other everyday materials.
In her words:

"The goal of this initiative is to create a space that supports sustainability, creativity, problem-solving, and collaborative exploration while also serving as a site for research, community engagement, and connection. The centre will function as a shared environment where researchers, educators, families, and community partners can come together through dialogue and experimentation."

We are proud to be part of this vision. Makedo has donated Invent Kits to Ozlem's department, where they're already in active use by students and colleagues, and will eventually find their permanent home in the play centre when it opens.

Getting hands-on at the Play Knowledge Exchange

The photo Ozlem chose for her ITRA profile says it all: it's from the session we hosted together at the Play Knowledge Exchange. She designed this event to bring together early childhood educators, parents, researchers, community partners, and university students for collaborative learning and relationship-building, rather than traditional presentations.

Our session invited attendees to step out of researcher mode and into playful child mode. With Makedo tools and recycled cardboard on every table, we started with a mini-challenge: “Make Something that Rolls.”

Once participants were confident with the tools, we moved into the Cardboard Fashion Show challenge. Participants closed the hour with a cardboard fashion show - complete with custom-made couture like capes, jackets, vests, shoes, and even masks!

In a day largely focused on the research and pedagogy of play, it was a chance for all to practice the joy of learning through play.

What's next?

Ozlem is also helping to bring Makedo to the 10th ITRA World Conference in Augsburg, Germany, this August. An event that will bring together toy and play researchers from around the world. We're looking forward to being part of that conversation, and to continuing to grow our relationship with one of the most thoughtful researchers working in this space today.