Build a World of Play

Thanks to you, the LEGO Foundation gives millions of children the chance to play and learn. Find out more about what we do – and why we do it.

Who is the LEGO Foundation?

The LEGO Foundation was set up by the founders of the LEGO Group, the Kirk Kristiansen family, over 30 years ago to ensure that as many kids as possible have access to play and learning.

The LEGO Foundation owns 25% of the LEGO Group.

That means that a portion of our company’s overall profits goes directly into the funding of the LEGO Foundation’s research, projects, activities and partnerships.

For example, in 2021, the LEGO Foundation provided our initiatives with grants of US$443.9 million to help children reach their full potential through play.

So the next time your family builds with LEGO® bricks, you’ll not only help your children learn through play, you’ll help millions of other children around the world do the same.

Together, we can Build a World of Play for every child.

Why is play so important?

When children play, they learn. Simple.

Play has the power to change lives. We believe it’s the best way to help children reach their full potential and learn life-long skills. That’s why our mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through play.

Because play teaches kids about skills that will help them thrive in the rapidly-changing world that is the 21st century. Let’s have a look at some of them now…

Emotional Skills

Through play, kids develop emotional skills, like the confidence to feel that they can figure anything out to seize new, exciting opportunities. Or empathy as they learn when their playmates are happy, sad or frustrated. And, together, kids learn resilience to stick things out and solve any challenge!

Creative Skills

Creativity is how we tell the world about ourselves: we write, tell and craft our stories. But it’s also how we draw connections, make sense of abstract ideas and test out solutions. Research tells us that creative play helps kids contextualize changes in everyday life.

Social Skills

Kids learn social skills through play, like collaboration. When children work together to solve problems, they learn to thrash out ideas, listen to others and even negotiate! Collaborating helps them do better at school and work, build friends for life and get on with their families.

Physical skills

Physically active play is linked to academic progress, self-regulation and social competence… plus all those mood-boosting endorphins! But it’s not just rough-and-tumble. Balancing blocks, planting flowers or making models are physical games that build fine motor skills.

Cognitive Skills

When learning is playful, children get so immersed in creating strategies and solutions, they’ll want to stretch their brain cells! The joy of play helps them develop complex reasoning, memory and concentration skills more effectively than sitting still and reeling off facts.

We want to use play to transform the lives of over 75 million children every year by 2032

The LEGO Foundation’s initiatives drive long-term lasting change, while addressing the immediate critical needs of the most vulnerable children and ensure they can access learning and play. We join forces with partners in over 32 countries to extend our reach and expertise so we can make the biggest impact.

Examples of the projects and activities we support include:

Humanitarian efforts to ensure children affected by crises have access to play and playful learning as with Sesame Workshops and Save the Children.
Research with partners including the University of Cambridge, into the impact and value that play and playful learning can have on a child’s development.
Education programs with partners to ensure children learn valuable life-long skills through play at school or in educational settings, including with the Scratch Foundation.
We place a focus on projects that ensure children in the communities where the LEGO Group has offices, shops and factories are able to learn through play.