Ideas change everything

How every child can thrive by five

13,593,001 plays|

Molly Wright |

TED and Minderoo Foundation

• July 2021

"What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world?" asks seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers. Breaking down the research-backed ways parents and caregivers can support children's healthy brain development, Wright highlights the benefits of play on lifelong learning, behavior and well-being, sharing effective strategies to help all kids thrive by the age of five. She's joined onstage by one-year-old Ari and his dad, Amarjot, who help illustrate her big ideas about brain science. (This TED Talk was produced in collaboration with Minderoo Foundation as an educational tool for parents and caregivers around the world and is supported by UNICEF.)

"What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world?" asks seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers. Breaking down the research-backed ways parents and caregivers can support children's healthy brain development, Wright highlights the benefits of play on lifelong learning, behavior and well-being, sharing effective strategies to help all kids thrive by the age of five. She's joined onstage by one-year-old Ari and his dad, Amarjot, who help illustrate her big ideas about brain science. (This TED Talk was produced in collaboration with Minderoo Foundation as an educational tool for parents and caregivers around the world and is supported by UNICEF.)

About the speaker

See speaker profile

Molly Wright, a student from Queensland, Australia, is a passionate advocate for early childhood development. At just seven years old, she's one of the youngest people ever to give a TED Talk.

Learn more

Minderoo Foundation's Thrive By Five initiative is a long-term, evidence-based strategy to ensure that all kids have the best start to life. The initiative takes a human development-centered approach that prioritizes the early years of life as the most effective way to improve outcomes for children for generations to come.

The TED Talk by 7-year-old Molly Wright was co-produced by TED and the Minderoo Foundation as an educational tool. The talk seeks to raise awareness around the critical importance of brain development in the early years of a child's life as well as the impact it has on their future. It highlights the tangible benefits of positive, reciprocal "serve and return" interactions on a child's lifelong learning, behavior and well-being, with the objective of empowering and motivating parents, caregivers and members of the community to engage more meaningfully and often with children.

null - null