As the holidays bring a surge in toy shopping, many parents are eyeing AI-powered toys — plushies, robots, dolls equipped with chatbots and generative-AI engines to “talk, teach, and play” with children. But recent statements from child-development experts and nonprofit organizations have raised serious concerns.

The core worry isn’t just privacy or data collection (though that is real). Rather, it’s developmental: early childhood — when brains are “sponges,” soaking in experiences — relies heavily on open-ended, imaginative play. In traditional pretend-play, children invent both sides of the story, play out conflicts, make decisions, and often encounter frustration or ambiguity. That process helps build creativity, problem-solving and emotional resilience.

When an AI toy “answers back” instantly and always agrees, children may lose the opportunity to stretch their imaginations. Instead of imagining and negotiating scenarios, children follow scripted responses. This may “collapse” the creative effort that underpins pretend-play, at a stage when children are also developing social-emotional skills.

More broadly, there are privacy and safety concerns: many AI toys rely on cloud-based systems, constantly listening or collecting data from children. That raises questions under child-privacy regulations (e.g. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the U.S.), and many parents may not realize just how much data is being gathered or how it’s used.

If you care about fostering creativity, sensory play, and independent imagination in children — especially neurodiverse learners — the rise of AI toys presents a potential pitfall.

• Imaginative play may shrink. With AI toys providing dialogue and structure, children may be less inclined to invent their own scenarios — which reduces opportunities for creative thinking, problem-solving, and role-play.

• Social-emotional growth may be dulled. Pretend play with other children or with caregivers often involves negotiation, cooperation, conflict, and emotional give-and-take. AI toys — programmed to agree — may short-circuit that learning.

• Privacy and data risks matter. Especially for young kids, having voice-recording or data-collecting toys in their environment introduces concerns about tracking, profiling, and long-term data storage — which many families may not fully understand or monitor.

• Developmental vulnerabilities are real. Experts highlight that young years are critical for shaping cognitive flexibility, imagination, and social competence. Overreliance on algorithmic companions may hinder — rather than help — that growth.

Given these risks, many child-safety and advocacy groups (including Fairplay) are urging parents and caregivers to avoid AI-powered toys for now — especially for very young children.

Why Sensory-Based, Traditional Play Still Matters (Especially for Neurodiverse Children)

At Burble Creativity, we emphasize the power of sensory-based learning, imagination, and open-ended play — because these forms of play encourage children to explore, invent, and create in ways uniquely suited to their brains.

• Sensory toys and materials (clay, fabric, water, sand, blocks) engage touch, movement, and exploration rather than passive listening. They stimulate the brain’s sensory-motor systems — essential for many neurodiverse learners.

• Unstructured play promotes executive functioning. When children build their own rules, face uncertainty, and solve problems independently, they develop flexibility, persistence, emotional regulation, and creative thinking. AI toys may deprive them of those opportunities.

• Imagination helps build identity, narrative sense, and self-expression. Neurodiverse children often benefit from imaginative and sensory play that lets them process emotions and experiences at their pace. Letting AI do the “thinking” may limit that growth.

In short: while AI-powered toys might seem like a shortcut to “smart learning,” they risk replacing — not augmenting — the rich developmental benefits of real, child-driven play.

What You Can Do — A Checklist

• Before buying a toy this holiday season, ask: does this toy encourage independent imagination, or does it tell the child what to do?

• Favor sensory-rich, open-ended toys and materials (blocks, clay, drawing tools, craft materials, nature-based play) — especially for younger children.

• If you do use tech-based toys or tools — supervise interaction closely, treat them as tools not substitutes for human interaction, and limit unsupervised time.

• Encourage unstructured play time — where children decide what to build, imagine, experiment, and play — rather than always leaning on “interactive” gadgets.

• Prioritize social interaction, storytelling, parent-child/caregiver-child play — which help build emotional, social, creative, and cognitive skills better than algorithmic companionship.