Name: Alex Thorne
Age: 12
What he’s doing: Alex has the coolest job in the world! He is Toys”R”Us’ official Chief Play Officer. As part of his job, Alex gets to test out the latest and greatest toys and travel across Canada providing the inside scoop on the hottest trends in the toy and gaming industry.
THE MAGAZINE caught up with Alex just in time for the holidays to talk about how he got the dream job and his favourite toys.
Tell us about your job.
It’s my job to play with the toys that Toys“R”Us sends me, review them and figure out what is cool about them. It’s also my job to promote play and imagination. I do this by going on TV and radio programs talking about new toys and toy trends.
How did you get such a cool job?
Toys“R”Us held a contest for kids between the ages of 11-13 to win the position of Chief Play Officer (CPO). First, I had to create a video to show why I would make a good Chief Play Officer. The top 10 kids were chosen to go in for an interview and from there I was chosen as the winner.
Of the toys you have tested, what are some of your favourites?
I just got this great game called Boom Boom Balloon. In this game, you blow up a balloon inside a special stand and you take turns rolling the dice and pushing special sticks into the balloon. You know the balloon is going to pop but you have no idea when it’s going to happen! For outdoor fun, I really love the Phlat Ball. It is a ball and you can flatten it into a frisbee-type toy. You don’t know when the suction will release and turn it back into a ball. So, you’ve got to keep throwing it until it pops back into a ball.
What would you say makes a good toy?
I think a really good toy is one that is unique. I also think that good toys have some interactivity. For example, Furby Boom and the new Furblings can interact with other Furbys or with an app. Also, it just needs to be FUN!
How do you prepare yourself to review toys and games that you would not normally choose?
What I like to do, for toys that I personally would not play with, is put myself in another person’s shoes. For a toddler toy, I think of what my 3 year old cousin would like about it. I really just need to find who would like it and pretend to be them. That’s the trick!
What has been the best part of your job at Toys“R”Us?
The TOYS!! I’ve gotten some really cool toys. What makes me feel good is donating the toys. I donated some of my last batch to footprints4autism. Another thing I love about the job is travelling around the country to appear on TV shows. As a kid, it makes me feel important that people really want to know what I think.
Thanks, Alex!