How our fans help us Build a World of Play for children around the world

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  • Thanks to LEGO® fans, the LEGO Foundation gives millions of children around the world the chance to play and learn
  • LEGO Foundation partners with the LEGO Group and over 50
    organisations globally to give millions of vulnerable children
    playful learning opportunities
  • Last year, the LEGO Foundation provided grants of over $440 million
    to help children reach their full potential through play

AeioTU is an amazing Colombian social enterprise organisation that works with communities across the country to ensure young children have the chance to learn and develop key skills through play. It runs centres and a series of collaborative programmes with parents, caregivers, teachers, and principals to help them understand why play is so important and show them the crucial role they have in helping children under 5 get the most out of play.

In 2021, aeioTU took its inspiring work to more children in some of the most remote and rural areas of Colombia. Children in these areas face a significantly lower rate of child development prospects than those in urban areas, which is where aeioTU had mainly carried out its programmes. Through a partnership with the LEGO Foundation, Fundación Pies Descalzos, and Universidad de los Andes, and with the support of government, aeioTU will now be able to reach and support the development of more than 11,000 children and 750 educators in rural locations throughout this year and next.

aeioTU is one of over 50 organisations globally that has worked with the LEGO Foundation in the last year to help children reach their full potential through play in 2021. Set up over 30 years ago by the founders of the LEGO Group, the Kirk Kristiansen family, the LEGO Foundation aims to help as many children as possible globally experience playful learning.

“Play has the power to changes lives. Every child, no matter where they are or the situation they are in, deserves the opportunity to learn through play and develop the life-long skills they need to thrive. The LEGO Foundation is committed to giving children globally opportunities to play in a way that can help shape their life in a profoundly positive way.” commented Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, fourth generation family owner.

kid looking like a robot made of card boxes

Last year, the LEGO Foundation committed over US $440 million to giving children everywhere opportunities to play and learn – at home, at school or in communities. From supporting the immediate critical needs of children impacted by crises, to driving long-term lasting change through research and education programmes, the LEGO Foundation partners with charities, not-for-profit organisations, governments, research experts and the LEGO Group to make a positive impact on the lives of children in over 32 countries. For example:

  • Working in partnership with 24 organisations to ensure over 30 million children still had opportunities to play and learn during the COVID-19 pandemic. This support included playful, educational radio programmes created by BRAC that reached an estimated 14 million children in Tanzania, Uganda, and Bangladesh during lockdowns.
  • Supporting over six million children and caregivers in vulnerable situations as a result of refugee crises in 2021. This included the Play to Learn project run with Sesame Workshop, BRAC, International Rescue Committee and New York University which brought playful learning and nurturing care to displaced young children in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Bangladesh.
  • Giving 27,000 children who are blind or visually impaired the opportunity to experience LEGO® play with LEGO® Braille Bricks. More than 16,000 teachers have been trained to use the LEGO Braille Bricks toolkit, allowing them to share learning through play with children in 11 languages, across 20 countries.
  • Partnering with the LEGO Group and charity Fairy Bricks to bring playful joy to children in hospices and hospitals across the UK and 26 other countries. In 2021, Fairy Bricks volunteers delivered over 100,000 LEGO sets to brighten the lives of sick children.
  • Most recently, the LEGO Foundation, together with Ole Kirk’s Fond and the LEGO Group, announced an emergency donation of USD 16.5 million to support the people of Ukraine - including children and their families through humanitarian aid and education resources.
    The LEGO Foundation owns 25% of the LEGO Group, meaning a portion of the profits from the sale of LEGO products go to funding the LEGO Foundation’s research, activities, and partnerships.
kids playing with card boxes outside

The LEGO Foundation owns 25% of the LEGO Group, meaning a portion of the profits* from the sale of LEGO products go to funding the LEGO Foundation’s research, activities, and partnerships.

Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of the LEGO Foundation, commented: “The early years of our lives lay the foundations for our life-long development. Children, families, and communities must have opportunities to flourish, and play is such an important factor. Every child, regardless of background, has the right to play and learn – and the LEGO Foundation exists to help ensure they get the chance. When families build with LEGO products, they are helping children around the world to thrive – both now and in the future.”

By 2032, the LEGO Foundation aims to transform the lives of more than 75 million children every year through playful learning and is working to:

  • Help transform educational systems to ensure all children have the skills they need to thrive in the future
  • Reach children around the world, including those who have been excluded, under-represented or impacted by crisis situations
  • Accelerate research on the impact and value that play, and playful learning, can have on a child’s development
  • And, in partnership with the LEGO Group and other LEGO branded entities, give more children access to great playful learning opportunities in the communities where there are LEGO factories, offices and stores

Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen continues: “The world’s children need our support to ensure they have the best start in life. Too many children face many barriers, over prolonged periods of time, that threaten their development. The impact of this can be felt for the rest of their lives, but if we work together, we can build safe, nurturing, stimulating environments that support children’s well-being and holistic development. We have a collective responsibility to equip them with the skills they need to be the creative problem solvers of tomorrow.”

To find out more about how together we can build of world of play for every child, visit www.lego.com/build-a-world-of-play

*The LEGO Foundation receives 25% of the LEGO Group’s profit dividends annually. For every $10 of profit dividends paid out, the LEGO Foundation receives $2.50.