“Free Play” and the Beauty of the Empty Box

The New Yorker’s recent cover, Free Play, by R. Kikuo Johnson, captures a scene every parent recognizes: a baby sitting in the middle of a living room full of toys, completely captivated by an empty cardboard box. The parents, watching with quiet fascination (and maybe a touch of irony), are witnessing one of childhood’s most universal truths—sometimes, less really is more.

At OgoSport, we couldn’t love this image more. It’s a gentle reminder that play doesn’t come from the toy—it comes from the child.

In an age of smart toys, curated playrooms, and endless new “must-haves,” this illustration strips everything back to the essentials: curiosity, imagination, and freedom. The box isn’t just a box—it’s a spaceship, a submarine, a tiny home, or a portal to anywhere their mind can go. That’s the power of open-ended play.

We often design toys with the same philosophy. Our goal isn’t to prescribe what play should look like, but to create tools that invite creativity. Whether it’s a disk that becomes a frisbee, a target, a drum, or a piece in an elaborate backyard game, our products are meant to spark possibility, not limit it.

The Free Play cover resonates because it celebrates the child’s natural ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary—a skill we risk dulling when play becomes too structured or overdesigned. It’s a call to trust kids’ instincts, to give them space to explore, and to rediscover joy in simplicity.

So, next time your child reaches for the wrapping paper instead of the gift inside, smile. They’re not missing the point—they are the point. That’s free play at its finest.