Kara Dyer’s Idea Made To Matter: What If Children Could Build Their Own Story?

In 2012, when her daughter was three years old, engineer and product designer Kara Dyer, SB ’00, SM ’01, MBA ’07, set out to find toys that inspired a love of reading and brought children’s stories to life. Dissatisfied with what was available, she hatched an idea that connected reading to building, storytelling, imagining, playing, and being inventive. Today, Storytime Toys sells more than 15,000 units annually.

“As children, our toys influence us a lot – the way we learn to play when we’re young is often the way we will approach our work as adults. We need to have toys that foster communication and creativity,” says Kara.

Kara’s design for her toy line, an easy-to-assemble dollhouse playset based on classic children’s stories, adopts an interdisciplinary approach to play – an approach influenced by her experience at MIT Sloan. During her time at MIT, both as a Course 2 undergraduate and as an MBA student, Kara learned how to solve problems creatively and think in a different way. She hopes her products inspire creativity and confidence for children, too. Because play matters, literacy matters, and kids matter.

IDEAS MADE TO MATTER.