Next month, The LEGO Group is inviting builders of all ages to celebrate its first World Play Day, honoring the United Nations’ International Day of Play. Families are encouraged to make their cities more playful and continue building, exploring, and learning through new ideas and activities on and after June 11.
Kids in different countries have participated in The LEGO Group’s Build the Change workshops, providing creative ways to make urban locations more fun and play-friendly. In June, the company will implement several ideas from the social impact program.
Families can expect areas near the river in Shanghai to become playful, immersive experiences; local Spätis in Berlin to focus on music, sports, and other passions; new interactive play moments inspired by local culture in Boston; and a new Play Pavilion in London through a partnership with Serpentine.
According to Remi Marcelli, SVP Global Brand Development at The LEGO Group, “When children are free from the constraints of adult thinking, they often conceive the most imaginative and groundbreaking solutions for making urban spaces more engaging and joyful. That’s why we’re providing children with a platform to share their innovative ideas on how they can influence the future of their communities. Play can spark imaginations and change cities for the better, so this World Play Day, we want to encourage families everywhere to join us and put their world in play mode.”
The company is collaborating with several engineers, artists, architects, sports stars, and creators to make kids’ urban space upgrades a reality. Playmakers Zoe Wees, Younes Zarou, Lourdes Villagómez, Cedric Mitchell, Brandon McCadney (Mad Keys), Jamad Fiin, Mulyana, Sha’an D’Anthes, Xie Qiongzhi, and former NASA Engineer Mark Rober are participating in the World Play Day initiatives.
The celebration continues — families can visit the LEGO Festival at select LEGOLAND resorts or participate in the Build the Change Playful Cities activity at LEGO House, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, and additional community partners. The free LEGO Education World Play Day Educator Toolkit, available now, can also help educators implement play-based activities in the classroom.
Families can still submit their ideas for their city at lego.com/worldplayday or on social media with the hashtag #BuildtheChange for the opportunity to be featured in The LEGO Group’s global gallery. Some ideas might be shared with city planners on (and after) World Play Day to help create play-based spaces in urban areas.
