Shaping the talent of tomorrow through toys
Toys have fueled children’s creativity and skill development for decades, turning play into a powerful tool for learning. From puzzles that develop problem-solving to babydolls that promote empathy and emotional intelligence, a child’s innate desire to play, and the tools at their disposal, can serve as the foundation for their future.
Yet, more often than not, these tools are taken out of the classroom after kindergarten, long before a child’s relationship with play is no longer pivotal.
‘Leveraging the Power of Learning Through Play’
LEGO has long been a toy praised for its skill building potential. As early as the age of three, children can start exploring LEGO products, opening a new world of discovery and development. Each brick has the ability to build more than structures, sparks the imagination, problem-solving, spatial and the development of fine motor skills, to skim the surface.
The company believes that this journey shouldn’t end or be stalled when school begins. Through LEGO Education’s STEM & STEAM solutions kits, toys are brought back into the classroom through a hands-on program that fosters a life-long interest in science, technology, engineering and math by delivering “playful learning experiences that bring subjects to life.”
Targeted toward preschool, elementary and middle school students, these kits combine the joy of playing with LEGOs and curriculum-relevant material. By offering these educational sets, lesson plans, assessment tools, digital resources and additional forms of teacher training and support, LEGO aims to provide educators with tools that enable them to meet curriculum objectives while making learning engaging and effective.
The program’s earliest kits for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners are designed to increase a student’s confidence and social skills alongside a basic understanding of STEAM-related topics. For instance, alongside constructing a train track, the Coding Express kit introduces early coding concepts with programming lessons that align with Common Core, CSTA and NGSS standards.
These skills are further developed through the elementary and middle school programs, with the most complex creating opportunities to gain experience in computer science and robotics.
“Kids are brilliant, and when you give them the tools and resources needed to cultivate their curiosity, anything is possible.”
– Pharrell Williams, GRAMMY Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated Musician
Transforming Education Takes Teamwork
Beyond their STEM & STEAM kits, LEGO has extended its impact on education through various avenues and exciting partnerships.
In 2021, the toy company collaborated with NASA and the Artemis I Mission to create the Build to Launch: A STEAM Exploration series, a free digital STEAM learning experience. The 10-week series is designed to puts students in the shoes of NASA engineers, scientists and astronauts as they explore the technology, STEAM concepts and careers behind the Artemis I mission to the Moon through interactive episodes and open-ended prompts grouped into three themes: Getting to Space, Testing and Transport, and Working in Space.
“We are at a pivotal moment in education, and to rethink how students learn we must provide meaningful, hands-on learning experiences,” said Esben Stærk, president of LEGO Education, when the project was announced. “The LEGO Education and Artemis lesson series creates joyful learning moments and brings STEAM learning to life through the real-world application of space exploration — a topic that evokes curiosity and awe in students of all ages and abilities.”
LEGO Education solutions teach children 21st century skills for future success.
Photos courtesy of the LEGO Group
One of LEGO’s most recent partnerships is a collaboration with GRAMMY Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated musician Pharrell Williams and his non-profit, YELLOW, which works to even the odds for children through education. On October 9, 2024, the partners launched the LEGO Build the Change Playful Schools Challenge, a call to children all over the world to submit their idea of an “ideal space to learn, dream and play” made from any available materials — from paper and pens to LEGO bricks and recycled materials.
The LEGO Group is working with a network of global partners — including First Book, which supports Title 1 schools across the United States, The Day and Forsta — to engage children in this challenge.
“If we’re going to even the odds through education and build a brighter future, we’re going to need more creative ideas, and nobody has better ideas than kids,” said Williams. “Kids are brilliant, and when you give them the tools and resources needed to cultivate their curiosity, anything is possible. I’ve been dreaming all my life, and when you’re curious, that is when your imagination is set on fire. I can’t wait to see what kids taking part in this challenge come up with and I know that, together with the LEGO Group, we’re all going to build change.”
In addition to being showcased in a Build the Change challenge online gallery, according to LEGO, the submitted ideas will also be shared with “decision-makers who are looking to shape the playful learning spaces of tomorrow.”
While the information announced doesn’t specifically include who these “decision-makers” are, the final impact of this collaboration is still to be determined, as the toy maker website prompts readers and participants to “watch out for more.”
