Emily J. Goodacre
@ejgoodacre.bsky.social
Postdoc in developmental psychology, play, and AI toys with @pedalcam.bsky.social.
Pinned
Emily J. Goodacre
@ejgoodacre.bsky.social
· Sep 18
How will childhood be changed by AI toys? | Letter
Letter: Our study is looking into how toys powered by AI can affect children’s development and their right to privacy, write Dr Emily J Goodacre and Prof Jenny Gibson
www.theguardian.com
Today in our Guardian letter, @drjennyg.bsky.social and I call for a greater public discourse on how AI toys are interacting with young children and the impacts on their development. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
I recently chatted with @prisblossom.bsky.social about AI toys, all the things we don't yet know about them, and @drjennyg.bsky.social & my research on their impacts in the early years. Read our conversation here. 👇
Should you be getting your child an AI toy for Christmas? Cambridge expert @ejgoodacre.bsky.social discusses how her research with @drjennyg.bsky.social is exploring what we know - and don't know - about the new wave of toys hitting the market.
uk.style.yahoo.com/ai-toys-are-...
uk.style.yahoo.com/ai-toys-are-...
AI toys are the future of play. I'm a researcher trying to figure out if that's a good thing for kids.
Researcher Emily Goodacre is exploring how AI-powered toys impact kids. Here's what she wants parents to consider.
uk.style.yahoo.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I recently chatted with @prisblossom.bsky.social about AI toys, all the things we don't yet know about them, and @drjennyg.bsky.social & my research on their impacts in the early years. Read our conversation here. 👇
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
PEDAL's @ejgoodacre.bsky.social, Laura Oxley, Zhiyu Zhao, Rebecca Reid, Alejandra Vijil Morin & @paulramchandani.bsky.social have published a paper in the International Journal of Play exploring innovative methods to centre children in research:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
November 12, 2025 at 4:27 PM
PEDAL's @ejgoodacre.bsky.social, Laura Oxley, Zhiyu Zhao, Rebecca Reid, Alejandra Vijil Morin & @paulramchandani.bsky.social have published a paper in the International Journal of Play exploring innovative methods to centre children in research:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
New publication celebrating 10 years of @pedalcam.bsky.social! 🌟
Featuring reflections from our first decade, including...
🗨️ children's self-reported playfulness
🤝 children as advisors on research
📹 child-driven creative methods
🔓 Open access: doi.org/10.1080/2159...
@paulramchandani.bsky.social
Featuring reflections from our first decade, including...
🗨️ children's self-reported playfulness
🤝 children as advisors on research
📹 child-driven creative methods
🔓 Open access: doi.org/10.1080/2159...
@paulramchandani.bsky.social
Innovative methods to centre children in research: celebrating 10 years of play with the PEDAL Research Centre
Centring children in play research is fundamental for both children and researchers. It also offers the opportunity to gain important insights that would otherwise remain hidden from view for other...
doi.org
November 10, 2025 at 11:48 AM
New publication celebrating 10 years of @pedalcam.bsky.social! 🌟
Featuring reflections from our first decade, including...
🗨️ children's self-reported playfulness
🤝 children as advisors on research
📹 child-driven creative methods
🔓 Open access: doi.org/10.1080/2159...
@paulramchandani.bsky.social
Featuring reflections from our first decade, including...
🗨️ children's self-reported playfulness
🤝 children as advisors on research
📹 child-driven creative methods
🔓 Open access: doi.org/10.1080/2159...
@paulramchandani.bsky.social
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
PEDAL's @ejgoodacre.bsky.social & @drjennyg.bsky.social have had a letter published in The @theguardian.com which responds to Arwa Mahdawi's article about her family's experience with an AI toy:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
How will childhood be changed by AI toys? | Letter
Letter: Our study is looking into how toys powered by AI can affect children’s development and their right to privacy, write Dr Emily J Goodacre and Prof Jenny Gibson
www.theguardian.com
September 24, 2025 at 4:42 PM
PEDAL's @ejgoodacre.bsky.social & @drjennyg.bsky.social have had a letter published in The @theguardian.com which responds to Arwa Mahdawi's article about her family's experience with an AI toy:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
More about @drjennyg.bsky.social and @ejgoodacre.bsky.social's research on AI toys and children's development here: content.educ.cam.ac.uk/content/new-...
September 19, 2025 at 7:29 AM
More about @drjennyg.bsky.social and @ejgoodacre.bsky.social's research on AI toys and children's development here: content.educ.cam.ac.uk/content/new-...
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
"It is our collective responsibility to understand how toys powered by artificial intelligence impact young children."
@drjennyg.bsky.social and @ejgoodacre.bsky.social in The Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
@drjennyg.bsky.social and @ejgoodacre.bsky.social in The Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
How will childhood be changed by AI toys? | Letter
Letter: Our study is looking into how toys powered by AI can affect children’s development and their right to privacy, write Dr Emily J Goodacre and Prof Jenny Gibson
www.theguardian.com
September 19, 2025 at 7:27 AM
"It is our collective responsibility to understand how toys powered by artificial intelligence impact young children."
@drjennyg.bsky.social and @ejgoodacre.bsky.social in The Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
@drjennyg.bsky.social and @ejgoodacre.bsky.social in The Guardian:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
How will childhood be changed by AI toys? | Letter www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle... Great letter from Dr Emily J Goodacre (my niece) in The Guardian today in response to article about AI Toys earlier in the week.
How will childhood be changed by AI toys? | Letter
Letter: Our study is looking into how toys powered by AI can affect children’s development and their right to privacy, write Dr Emily J Goodacre and Prof Jenny Gibson
www.theguardian.com
September 19, 2025 at 6:20 AM
How will childhood be changed by AI toys? | Letter www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle... Great letter from Dr Emily J Goodacre (my niece) in The Guardian today in response to article about AI Toys earlier in the week.
Today in our Guardian letter, @drjennyg.bsky.social and I call for a greater public discourse on how AI toys are interacting with young children and the impacts on their development. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
How will childhood be changed by AI toys? | Letter
Letter: Our study is looking into how toys powered by AI can affect children’s development and their right to privacy, write Dr Emily J Goodacre and Prof Jenny Gibson
www.theguardian.com
September 18, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Today in our Guardian letter, @drjennyg.bsky.social and I call for a greater public discourse on how AI toys are interacting with young children and the impacts on their development. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
‘I love you too!’ My family’s creepy, unsettling week with an AI toy
‘I love you too!’ My family’s creepy, unsettling week with an AI toy
The cuddly chatbot Grem is designed to ‘learn’ your child’s personality, while every conversation they have is recorded, then transcribed by a third party. It wasn’t long before I wanted this experiment to be over ...
www.theguardian.com
September 16, 2025 at 5:28 AM
‘I love you too!’ My family’s creepy, unsettling week with an AI toy
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
We need your help! Please click the link below for more info and share with your networks - thank you!
Early years practitioners: We want to hear your views on new toys that use artificial intelligence! We're researching how new toys that use AI might impact young children, and we want to learn about your concerns, as well as your views on any benefits.
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
August 20, 2025 at 8:24 AM
We need your help! Please click the link below for more info and share with your networks - thank you!
We're looking for early years practitioners to help us learn about AI toys in early years settings. No experience of AI is required, and all views are welcome.
Please repost, share with early years practitioners, and/or sign up for more details here: cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Please repost, share with early years practitioners, and/or sign up for more details here: cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
August 19, 2025 at 3:08 PM
We're looking for early years practitioners to help us learn about AI toys in early years settings. No experience of AI is required, and all views are welcome.
Please repost, share with early years practitioners, and/or sign up for more details here: cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Please repost, share with early years practitioners, and/or sign up for more details here: cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Check out the recordings from #PEDALConference2025, including me presenting preliminary results from our scoping review on generative AI toys 📖👇
The recordings of the #PEDALConference2025 are available to watch now on our YouTube channel:
PEDAL Conference 2025
The PEDAL Conference 2025 took place on Wednesday 11 June 2025. This year's theme was “Playing for the Future: 10 Years of PEDAL”.This one-day event brought ...
www.youtube.com
July 17, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Check out the recordings from #PEDALConference2025, including me presenting preliminary results from our scoping review on generative AI toys 📖👇
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
Now that the final Play Commission report has been published (see link in our bio and our previous post), we wanted to re-share the submission that PEDAL's Dr Soizic Le Courtois and Manogya Sahay worked on with PhD student Qiming Liu:
Supporting Learning Through Play - PEDAL
A Play Commission Submission by Dr Soizic Le Courtois, Manogya Sahay and Qiming Liu
www.pedalhub.net
June 30, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Now that the final Play Commission report has been published (see link in our bio and our previous post), we wanted to re-share the submission that PEDAL's Dr Soizic Le Courtois and Manogya Sahay worked on with PhD student Qiming Liu:
Enjoyed sharing preliminary results from our AI in the Early Years research last week alongside Prof Rosie Flewitt and Prof Hatice Gunes at #PEDALConference2025!
Huge thanks to Professor Rosie Flewitt, Professor Hatice Gunes and PEDAL’s Dr @ejgoodacre.bsky.social for their presentations on AI, Toys and the Future at the #PEDALConference2025 - plenty of food for thought!
June 17, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Enjoyed sharing preliminary results from our AI in the Early Years research last week alongside Prof Rosie Flewitt and Prof Hatice Gunes at #PEDALConference2025!
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
🆕 COS statement on the "Restoring Gold Standard Science" Executive Order
The EO names important open science principles, but their application here is counter to open science's purpose to accelerate discovery, advance treatments, & create knowledge.
📄 Read our statement: www.cos.io/about/news/c...
The EO names important open science principles, but their application here is counter to open science's purpose to accelerate discovery, advance treatments, & create knowledge.
📄 Read our statement: www.cos.io/about/news/c...
COS Statement on “Restoring Gold Standard Science” Executive Order
The Executive Order issued on May 23, 2025, Restoring Gold Standard Science, references several open science practices championed by COS and the open science and metascience communities more generally...
www.cos.io
May 29, 2025 at 8:27 PM
🆕 COS statement on the "Restoring Gold Standard Science" Executive Order
The EO names important open science principles, but their application here is counter to open science's purpose to accelerate discovery, advance treatments, & create knowledge.
📄 Read our statement: www.cos.io/about/news/c...
The EO names important open science principles, but their application here is counter to open science's purpose to accelerate discovery, advance treatments, & create knowledge.
📄 Read our statement: www.cos.io/about/news/c...
I recently chatted to Rob Hughes of TechTots about what AI toys are, what we (don't) know about them, and what we can expect from them in the future.
🎧 Listen to the podcast here: www.playtandem.com/blog/introdu...
🎧 Listen to the podcast here: www.playtandem.com/blog/introdu...
TechTots Podcast: Episode 4 - AI in the Toybox: Navigating Smart Toys & Child Development — Tandem
AI-powered toys are no longer science fiction – they're rapidly entering our children's playrooms. But what do we really know about their impact? In this episode of TechTots, we're joined by Dr...
www.playtandem.com
May 23, 2025 at 2:46 PM
I recently chatted to Rob Hughes of TechTots about what AI toys are, what we (don't) know about them, and what we can expect from them in the future.
🎧 Listen to the podcast here: www.playtandem.com/blog/introdu...
🎧 Listen to the podcast here: www.playtandem.com/blog/introdu...
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
Do you work with or volunteer with children under five? Please complete this survey about AI in the early years and/or share with your networks.
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Thanks so much!
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Thanks so much!
May 22, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Do you work with or volunteer with children under five? Please complete this survey about AI in the early years and/or share with your networks.
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Thanks so much!
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Thanks so much!
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
One stream of work at PEDAL is developing ways to allow young children to express their views and feelings about things that matter to them.
A new paper from Dr Sydney Conroy looks at a way of exploring this, using sand tray methods. You can read about it here:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
A new paper from Dr Sydney Conroy looks at a way of exploring this, using sand tray methods. You can read about it here:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Trusting play to be meaningful data: using sand tray as a play-based research method with an adapted interpretative phenomenological analysis
Play-based research methods wherein play itself is analysed as valuable and insightful data is sparse. This methodology article details one method for play-based research, sand tray, in conjunction...
www.tandfonline.com
May 2, 2025 at 9:24 AM
One stream of work at PEDAL is developing ways to allow young children to express their views and feelings about things that matter to them.
A new paper from Dr Sydney Conroy looks at a way of exploring this, using sand tray methods. You can read about it here:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
A new paper from Dr Sydney Conroy looks at a way of exploring this, using sand tray methods. You can read about it here:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
We want to understand more about how to make artificial intelligence safe for young children and understand its potential for improving children's lives and opportunities 🤖
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
April 3, 2025 at 3:20 PM
We want to understand more about how to make artificial intelligence safe for young children and understand its potential for improving children's lives and opportunities 🤖
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
More details on our new AI toys research, plus an opportunity for early years professionals to tell us what you think of AI for young children 👇
Do you work in a role supporting young children (aged 0 to five) or their families? If so, @uniofcam.bsky.social researchers are interested in hearing your perspectives on how children are using a new generation of AI-powered toys.
Find out more: content.educ.cam.ac.uk/content/new-...
Find out more: content.educ.cam.ac.uk/content/new-...
New project aims to understand how AI ‘smart’ toys affect disadvantage, development and play
content.educ.cam.ac.uk
March 20, 2025 at 4:36 PM
More details on our new AI toys research, plus an opportunity for early years professionals to tell us what you think of AI for young children 👇
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
A brilliant new campaign from London Sport - with support from @playingout.bsky.social and others ...https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/18/yes-ball-games-drive-to-take-down-signs-warning-against-play-begins-in-london
Yes, ball games: drive to take down signs warning against play begins in London
Charity says thousands of signs on capital’s estates deter children from being active, and is covering some of them up
www.theguardian.com
March 18, 2025 at 11:56 AM
A brilliant new campaign from London Sport - with support from @playingout.bsky.social and others ...https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/18/yes-ball-games-drive-to-take-down-signs-warning-against-play-begins-in-london
Reposted by Emily J. Goodacre
What does great evidence synthesis look like and where is #AI being successfully applied in this field? 💭
Great discussions yesterday at our AI for #evidencesynthesis workshop as we examined the strengths and limitations of current tools, areas of progress and promising applications of AI.
Great discussions yesterday at our AI for #evidencesynthesis workshop as we examined the strengths and limitations of current tools, areas of progress and promising applications of AI.
March 6, 2025 at 3:18 PM
What does great evidence synthesis look like and where is #AI being successfully applied in this field? 💭
Great discussions yesterday at our AI for #evidencesynthesis workshop as we examined the strengths and limitations of current tools, areas of progress and promising applications of AI.
Great discussions yesterday at our AI for #evidencesynthesis workshop as we examined the strengths and limitations of current tools, areas of progress and promising applications of AI.
Read about our new reserach project on AI toys in early childhood with The Childhood Trust 👇
www.childhoodtrust.org.uk/about-us/new...
www.childhoodtrust.org.uk/about-us/new...
How AI toys shape young minds: exploring their impact on early childhood development | The Childhood Trust
www.childhoodtrust.org.uk
January 31, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Read about our new reserach project on AI toys in early childhood with The Childhood Trust 👇
www.childhoodtrust.org.uk/about-us/new...
www.childhoodtrust.org.uk/about-us/new...