The LEGO Group Inspires Kids to Reimagine Urban Spaces for World Play Day

To celebrate its World Play Day, the LEGO Group is putting the world in play mode, inspiring kids to reclaim their right to play, reimagine their cities and rebuild the world with their creativity.

In honour of the UN’s International Day of Play – which states that play is an essential right for every child’s growth and happiness – the LEGO Group is bringing kids’ imaginative ideas for playful urban environments to life, showcasing the transformative power of play.

Cities are missing an opportunity

Almost a third of children worldwide currently reside in urban areas, and this figure is expected to rise to 70% by 2050. However, new research commissioned by the LEGO Group reveals that while kids want to help build cities, many feel overlooked, invisible, and ignored.

The research, involving 10,000 parents and 10,000 children aged 6-16 who live in cities, from the UK, US, France, Germany, Australia, Czech Republic, China, Japan, Mexico and Poland, found that:

• 33% of kids believe adults designing urban environments don’t consider children’s needs or preferences.
  
• 36% believe the streets in their city prioritise cars over people, limiting safe and inviting spaces for play.
  
• Nearly two-thirds (64%) of city-dwelling kids feel their cities lack fun and engaging places to play, with 44% wishing for more spaces to play with friends.
  

Parents and caregivers share these concerns:

• 84% say their city doesn’t prioritise play, while 69% don't feel their city offers safe and accessible play spaces.
• 18% worry their child is part of a generation locked out of outdoor fun, and 11% feel their city is becoming a 'no-go zone' for children’s play.
  
• 11% of parents are cutting back on spending in other areas to afford sending their child to safe play spaces, showing a gap in affordable, family-friendly play options.
  

Julia Goldin, chief product and marketing officer at the LEGO Group said, “Play should not be limited to homes and schools - it should extend into our streets, parks and public spaces. However, our research shows that children often feel overlooked in urban design. At the LEGO Group, we believe it is our role to help create a bridge between kids’ imagination and real life, and we know that a more playful world benefits everyone. This World Play Day we're providing kids with a platform to share their brilliant ideas, transforming their bold concepts into playful experiences that everyone can enjoy, and that we hope will inspire lasting change for generations to come.”

Play transforms cities – and lives

The LEGO Group wants to highlight how cities built for play don’t just create space for fun - they help children and families thrive. The research also uncovered that when kids are given space and time to play, it can boost childhood development as well as kids’ wellbeing and social connections:

• 43% of urban parents say their children sleep better after playing - something 63% of kids recognise too.
  
• 81% of kids say play makes them feel happier, while 59% say it helps them talk more easily to family and friends.
  
• 27% of parents say regular play helps their children share more easily – which is important for emotional development and school readiness.
  

Play isn't just for kids - it offers significant benefits for the wider family too. It’s a proven stress reliever (41%), energy giver (38%) and helps to build kinder communities (30%).

Celebrating the power of play on World Play Day

Over the last few months, children around the world have shared their ideas on how they would transform cities with more play though the LEGO Group’s Build the Change social impact program, which invites children to tackle real-world challenges with LEGO bricks and other materials. From secret play zones with zip lines, to skyscraper slides and playful bus stops for all to enjoy, the response to this new Build the Change Playful Cities challenge in partnership with global design experts Arup, shows how children have the power to make cities brighter, bolder, and way more fun.

On World Play Day, their bold and brilliant ideas are being brought to life by a global crew of Playmakers, led by former NASA engineer, and one of the most successful science and engineering creators on YouTube, Mark Rober.

Joining Rober is a global crew of creators from music, arts, sports and digital culture, with a combined fanbase of over 62M, including: Zoe Wees and Younes Zarou (Germany), Jamad Fiin, Cedric Mitchell, Brandon McCadney (Mad Keys) and Lourdes Villagómez (US), Mulyana (Indonesia), Sha’an D’Anthes (Australia) and Xie Qiongzhi (China). The Playmakers will be joined by a roster of YouTube Creators from around the world, including Ben Azelart, Zhong and Aquarium Info, who will also take kids' ideas and bring them to life.

This World Play Day, children's boldest ideas for playful cities are springing to life through immersive installations and unique experiences across the globe, including in:

Berlin: Ordinary urban spaces, like local Spätis, will be transformed into bursting hubs of imagination. Inspired by kids' visions of rhythm and sport, these vibrant pop-up play zones will invite families to experience how everyday corners can become stages for creative expression.

Boston: The Rose Kennedy Greenway will transform into a lively playground where kids can dive into hands-on LEGO® activities that showcase how the power of creativity can brighten and enliven the city.

Shanghai: Along Shanghai's iconic riverfront, children's imaginative ideas will spring to life, transforming public spaces into immersive play landscapes. From whimsical structures to interactive challenges, these areas will showcase a child's vision for a city alive with play.

London: The Play Pavilion in partnership with Serpentine will be unveiled. Open from today through to August, this immersive environment celebrates the unbounded creative power of play, inviting children and families to step into a world shaped by imagination.

Turning World Play Day into Lasting Impact

The LEGO Group is committed to amplifying the voices of children and turning these playful visions into lasting impact. Kids' ideas and calls to create more playful cities have been collated in a 'How to' guide in partnership with Arup which will be shared with urban planners and decision-makers around the world, including with government representatives at today’s high-level event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, co-hosted by UNICEF and UNESCO, to promote the importance of play.

In addition, in Shanghai, the LEGO Group China has launched a two-year partnership with Shanghai United Foundation to bring Learning through Play to migrant children and community in Shanghai, aiming to improve emotional well-being and holistic development through play. The project includes refurbishing LEGO playrooms, donating play boxes, and offering play-based social-emotional learning sessions, benefiting over 15,000 children.

Whilst in Berlin, the LEGO Group Germany will work with Save the Children Germany to deliver accessible learning-through-play experiences across 10 locations in Berlin. This two-year program aims to reach over 17,000 individuals and will use the power of play to support children's holistic skills development. Parents, caregivers and non-formal educators will be supported to integrate play into children's daily life.

In Boston the LEGO Group USA is launching the Power of Play Boston initiative, a series of local community partnerships providing children across the city opportunities to connect, grow, and create new possibilities through play. The initiative includes playful learning programs at the Boston Public Library’s Central Library and all 25 neighbourhood branches, as well as free summer programming outside the Boston Children’s Museum, hands-on STEAM activities and accessibility off hours with the Museum of Science, and creative play programming that connects the LEGO brick with children’s passions - from music, to sport, and storytelling.

And finally in London, the LEGO Group will continue developing its Power of Play programme which was launched in 2023. Convened by the LEGO Group and supported by the LEGO Foundation, this programme brings together a group of organisations that focus on children’s education, rights and wellbeing. The goal is to enhance access to play and shift attitudes towards playful learning in the borough by providing a mix of play opportunities at home, school, and in the community for underserved children and their families. Since its inception, it has reached 21,000 children. For WPD 2025, children from Power of Play programme will also benefit from the Play Pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery.

Other activity happening to celebrate World Play Day include:

• At the first-ever LEGO Festival, thousands of families have come together over six epic weekends and across seven LEGOLAND Resorts worldwide to make a Play Pact - a promise to build more, laugh louder, explore endlessly and play always. To celebrate this global movement, the LEGO Group and LEGOLAND Resorts are teaming up with Merlin’s Magic Wand, Merlin Entertainment’s charity partner, to turn the Play Pacts into 100,000 hours of free LEGOLAND days out for underprivileged children and their families.
  
• A free LEGO Education World Play Day Educator Toolkit is available to teachers around the world to implement play-based challenges in classrooms.
  
• Build the Change Playful Cities activity taking place at LEGO House, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres and over 30 community partners around the world.