This is the job there’s a waiting list for - and one that keeps LEGO® retirees coming back

Their careers might have finished a while ago, but LEGO retirees in Billund, Denmark are joining a waiting list to return for a very special role.

It’s a different kind of perks and benefits: bringing play to thousands of children around the world while making sure LEGO elements don't go to waste.

Two days each week a group of retired colleagues volunteer to sort and pack LEGO bricks into LEGO Play Boxes for donation to children who otherwise have little access to play. Ask the retirees why they do it, and their answers are straightforward:

Every box is packed with care

Each session brings together around 20 retirees at a time. They’ve become experts, quickly recognising pieces at a glance, and building the right mix of elements to inspire creativity in every box for children around the world.

The Play Boxes are filled with a mix of loose bricks, usually elements that are going out of production or that are left over from sets with damaged packaging. Operating on a rota system, the retirees:

• Dismantle damaged packaging
• Sort bricks by type and play value
• Repack them into new Play Boxes

Moments of excitement, curiosity and joy

The programme is run by Henrik Møller Kristensen, who has seen it grow into something far bigger than expected.

What began as a practical way to reuse bricks has now become Billund’s hottest ticket, with more than 160 retirees aged 74–92 already involved, and many more hoping to take part.

As Henrik puts it: “We never expected this initiative to become so popular. But for many of our retirees, it’s a way to stay connected, contribute, and continue being part of something meaningful.”

There’s coffee, conversation and shared memories of the company from the course of the retirees’ long careers together. Some days even start with a song.

“Do you remember when...?” is a common phrase here.

The volunteers are rewarded with a LEGO set to take home after their shift. But the most fulfilling part comes later.

A different kind of impact

Henrik receives regular feedback from beneficiaries of the boxes from around the world, which he shares with the volunteers.

And every Christmas, he puts together a video so they can see the fruits of their labour: delighted children opening the very boxes they packed.

A direct link between a morning’s work in Billund and the knowledge that even in retirement they are still able to touch children’s lives through the power of play.

And that’s why they keep showing up.

And why there’s still a waiting list to do this job.