Children
We believe every child should have an opportunity to achieve their potential. Play nurtures and develops the breadth of skills children need to solve problems creatively while boosting confidence and resilience. The LEGO Group, the LEGO Foundation and LEGO® Education work together to be a force for Learning through Play bringing play to children in need in our communities around the world.
Inspiring children to learn through play
Many of our traditional programmes are events-based, bringing children together to learn through play. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to rethink how to reach children and parents with Learning through Play initiatives. In collaboration with the LEGO Foundation, we shifted our focus to financial grants to charity partners in our local communities to help them reach crisis-affected children with vital supplies and opportunities to learn through play to support their well-being and the development of essential life skills.
- 2018 result840,000children reached
- 2019 result1,860,000children reached
- 2020 result3,229,390children reachedTarget2,000,000children reached
In total we reached over 3.2 million children with our Learning through Play programmes and activities in 2020, our ambition for 2021 is to broaden our reach to at least 3.5 million children.
Learning under lockdown
During COVID-19 lockdowns, it was estimated around 90% of the world’s children weren’t in their usual learning environments. We challenged our experts within science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), our designers, creatives and play experts to come up with new play-based learning online. Their answer was the #letsbuildtogether campaign and platform that went on our social channels with building ideas and daily challenges for children and families alike.Let's build together
Build to Give
The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year for many, but for some children, it doesn’t always come with the same excitement, especially during COVID-19. That’s why for the fourth year running we encouraged families to get creative and give the gift of play to a child-in-need, simply by making a holiday ornament out of LEGO® bricks. For every holiday creation shared on social media using the hashtag #BuildtoGive, the LEGO Group donates a LEGO set to a child-in-need giving children in hospitals, children’s homes or vulnerable communities globally the chance to play during the holiday season. This year we donated 1.2 million LEGO sets through Build to Give.
Supporting children in emergencies
In 2019, we launched an Emergency Relief Response Fund to support children affected by natural disasters and emergencies, supported by the LEGO Foundation. During 2020 we donated US$1 million to Save the Children Australia, supporting 4,500 children impacted by bush fires, and DKK 1 million to Save the Children, supporting children in India affected by flooding.
Inspire and educate children on sustainability
Build the Change continues to be a focal point within the LEGO Group’s sustainability 2022 ambition giving all children the opportunity to learn about sustainability through play and giving them a voice on some of the biggest sustainability challenges the world is facing. In 2020, we pivoted the decade-old event-based programme into an at home digital experience that could be done with any creative materials – including, but not limited to, LEGO bricks.Build the Change
Inspire and engage parents in Learning through Play
Our programme ‘Prescription for Play’ is for healthcare providers in the U.S. seeing 18- to 24-month-old patients. Families that receive a prescription to play will get a LEGO® DUPLO® box containing a variety of animals, encouraging parents to spend time playing with their children. Caregivers and parents are critical in developing children’s essential skills for the 21st century. This programme aims to develop parental and caregiver behaviour towards Learning through Play and equip them to bring quality Learning through Play opportunities into the home. In 2020, we reached over 650,000 parents and caregivers and aim to grow the reach to 750,000 in 2021 with a further refined program.Prescription for Play
Digital child safety
We are committed to world-class safety-by-design digital experiences that enable children to play and learn online in a fun and safe environment. In 2020, we launched Build and Talk, a series of creative challenges which offer parents and their children a guided way of engaging in conversations about digital safety and how to be responsible digital citizens. In November, during anti-bullying week and World Children’s Day, we expanded the activity to help families discuss how to address cyberbullying in an engaging and proactive way. Our parent targeted engagement on digital safety and wellbeing had the combined estimated reach of over 55 million families during 2020.Build and Talk
Supporting racial equality
In June 2020, the LEGO Group made a commitment to stand together with the Black community against racism and inequality and that we would donate US$4 million to organizations dedicated to supporting Black children and educating all children about racial inequality. We proudly partner with: Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), EmbraceRace, The Brotherhood/Sister Sol (Bro/Sis) and Year Up.Partnerships that support racial equality
Promoting inclusive play
Together with the LEGO Foundation, we launched the first LEGO Braille Bricks and audio building instructions for children with impaired vision. During 2020 and early 2021, Braille Bricks will become available in 20 countries, in partnership with local sight loss organizations.LEGO braille bricks
Play it safe
We create safe, high-quality products that meet or surpass even the most rigorous international toy safety regulations and standards. In 2020, we had our 11th consecutive year with no product recalls.Read more
Virtual Play Week
Each year, we celebrate play, by inviting all employees to play for a day to experience first hand the power of Learning through Play. However, this year, due to the impact of COVID-19, Play Day became a Virtual Play Week in June 2020.
Every employee received a LEGO® Classic box with an invitation to join us for the Virtual Play Week – five days of live and recorded sessions on the endless creativity, challenges and potential that can be unlocked through play. An invitation to join the event was shared with Merlin Entertainments, which owns the LEGOLAND theme parks, and partner organizations that share our belief in Learning through Play, such as UNICEF, Right to Play and institute of imagination. More than 5,700 colleagues and partners from across the globe played along during the week. This new way of celebrating play has encouraged us to keep on playing, both virtually and physically.
