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§ Private Profile · San Francisco, CA, USA
Creativity at Play. Tablet toys. Acquired by Google, 2015.
Key people at Launchpad Toys.
Launchpad Toys was founded in 2010 by Andy Russell (Founder) and Thushan Amarasiriwardena (Founder).
We're creating digital toys and tools that empower kids to create, learn & share their ideas through play.
Give a young child a couple of toys or a box of crayons and he or she is likely to play for hours, deeply engrossed in an imaginary world. In both art and dramatic play, children construct settings, create fictional characters, and act out fantastic storylines that would be the envy of many Hollywood scriptwriters. Yet, ask that same child to write out a story in a blank notebook or a word processor and you would be lucky to capture a fraction of the depth and splendor of his or her imagination. Play inspires and scaffolds the creative process from an early age, but there is a persistent gap between the origins of imaginative play (ages 4-5) and kids' adoption of the formal discipline of creative writing (ages 8-10).
At Launchpad Toys, we're using mobile devices like the iPad to bridge this gap between informal and formal learning, to harness the power of play to help children capture and share their ideas with other kids around the world. Our first product, Toontastic an app for the iPad, is a creative learning tool that blends constructionist and social development theories to empower young children to create, learn, and share their ideas through play.
Key people at Launchpad Toys.
Launchpad Toys was founded in 2010 by Andy Russell (Founder) and Thushan Amarasiriwardena (Founder).
Launchpad Toys is a digital toy company that created tablet-based creative play apps, most notably *Toontastic*, which enables children to craft their own animated stories. Acquired by Google in 2015, Launchpad Toys builds products that serve children aged roughly 3 to 12, fostering creativity, storytelling, and collaborative play through technology. Their apps address the problem of engaging kids in imaginative, educational play on digital platforms, blending learning with fun in a way that traditional games often do not. The company demonstrated strong growth momentum with millions of cartoons created worldwide and expanded its offerings to younger children with *Toontastic Jr.* and collaborative features[1][4][5].
Launchpad Toys was founded by Andy Russell, a toy designer with experience at Hasbro and Sony PlayStation, and Thushan Amarasiriwardena, an NC State graduate with a background at the Boston Globe. The idea emerged from their shared vision to "reimagine the iPad" as a platform for creative play rather than passive consumption. They sought to create digital toys that inspire children to create rather than just play scripted games. Early traction came with the success of *Toontastic*, which quickly gained millions of users globally, validating their approach to combining storytelling education with interactive technology. The company’s acquisition by Google in 2015 marked a pivotal moment, enabling further development and integration within a larger ecosystem[1][3][4].
Launchpad Toys rides the trend of *creative education* and *digital play* in the tablet era, capitalizing on the widespread adoption of touchscreen devices among children. The timing was crucial as tablets became common in homes and schools, creating a market eager for educational yet entertaining content. Market forces favoring digital learning tools and parental demand for screen time that promotes creativity rather than passive consumption worked in their favor. By pioneering digital toys that blend play and learning, Launchpad Toys influenced the broader ecosystem by setting a standard for educational apps that empower children as creators, not just consumers[4][5].
Post-acquisition, Launchpad Toys’ future likely involves deeper integration with Google’s educational and creative platforms, expanding its reach and capabilities. Trends such as augmented reality, AI-assisted creativity, and increased emphasis on collaborative online learning will shape their journey. Their influence may evolve from standalone apps to components of broader creative ecosystems that support children’s learning and expression across devices and contexts. Launchpad Toys exemplifies how digital tools can transform traditional play into a dynamic, educational experience, continuing to inspire creativity at play in the digital age.
