The LEGO Group Asks Families to Build a Heart and Share the Joy This Holiday Season

 For many families across the world, the holidays are a magical time filled with joy and celebration, but for some families the festive period can be a challenging time. That’s why the LEGO Group is encouraging everyone to help share the superpower of play with children that need it most, by building a heart out of LEGO® bricks as part of its #BuildToGive initiative.

For every heart shared on social media or on LEGO Life using the hashtag #BuildtoGive before 31 December, the LEGO Group will donate a LEGO set to a child in need of play. The aim of the initiative is to give 1.5 million children across the world in hospitals, children’s homes or vulnerable communities the chance to play this holiday season. The sets are distributed through the LEGO Group’s network of local charity partners in 24 countries around the world. More than 6.5 million LEGO sets have been donated through the LEGO Group’s #BuildToGive initiative since 2017.

It’s easy to get involved and share some joy and positivity; everyone simply need to build a heart. It can be big, small, weird or wonderful – there’s no right or wrong way to build a heart, just use your imagination! The LEGO Play Well study* found that play helps families bond and makes them happier, but a recent LEGO study** also found, on average, children globally spend seven hours a week playing, with a third of those children spending less than 3 hours – just 2% - of their week enjoying unstructured play. What better reason to bring the family together for some festive fun than to pass on the superpower of play through #BuildtoGive.

“Hearts are recognised all around the world and across many cultures as a symbol of love, joy, and positivity. This year, we are calling on families to once again help us spread that joy by taking part in the #BuildtoGive initiative,” said Diana Ringe Krogh, Vice President of Social Responsibility at the LEGO Group. “We are now in the seventh year of #BuildtoGive. Thanks to people around the world, we have donated millions of LEGO® sets to children in need of play through #BuildtoGive. We are looking forward to seeing all the different interpretations of hearts this year and are grateful that once again we can turn that creativity and play into a moment of giving.”

The #BuildToGive initiative is part of the LEGO Group’s broader Play is Your Superpower campaign which aims to inspire families to reprioritize playtime.

In addition to this campaign, the LEGO Group works with a range of charity partners and the LEGO Foundation to bring play to children in need in communities around the world. These programs provide children with opportunities to develop life-long skills such as problem solving, collaboration and communication that boosts their wellbeing and help them succeed in a fast-paced world.

You can find out more information about the campaign and how to get involved at LEGO.com/BuildToGive.

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Notes 

*LEGO® Play Well Study 2022
**LEGO Fall & Holiday Study, 2023 (Censuswide)

About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine. The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words Leg Godt, which mean “Play Well”. Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. Its products are now sold in more than 130 countries worldwide. For more information: www.LEGO.com

About #BuildtoGive
In connection with the #BuildtoGive 2023 Holiday Activation, the LEGO Group will donate one LEGO® set to charity for every gift that is built with LEGO bricks and shared on social media with #BuildtoGive. Total annual donation not to exceed 1,500,000 LEGO sets with a total value of 15,000,000 USD.

About the research
The Censuswide findings were gathered from a total of 21,180 parents of children aged 6 – 12 across 22 markets during August 2023.

Where data is referenced as the LEGO Play Well study 2022, the research was conducted among a total of 32,781 parents and 24,593 children aged 5 -12 through a 20 minute online quantitative survey conducted across 35 markets in early 2022.