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 who 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 the 31st of 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 25 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 percent – 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 has aimed to inspire families to reprioritise 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 well-being and help them succeed in a fast-paced world.
To help bring joy to families in need, LEGO New Zealand has partnered with Kindness Collective on their ‘Christmas Joy Store’ initiative, to help bring joy to families in need across the country this Christmas season. The Christmas Joy Store invites referred parents and caregivers to come along and choose gifts for their children free of charge, to ensure they don’t go without gifts this holiday season.
With the increasingly concerning cost-of-living crisis, and after the devastating effects of the recent weather events in Aotearoa, many families in New Zealand are struggling more than ever before. Founder of Kindness Collective, Sarah Page, said that having companies such as LEGO New Zealand donate countless LEGO sets each year is what helps bring so much joy to families who are struggling during Christmas.
“We know that the very unfortunate reality is that thousands of Kiwi kids will wake up on Christmas with no presents to open, or even have a meal on the table. Having the support from our partners like LEGO New Zealand helps us deliver the gift of joy to so many families who would have otherwise gone without. Without donations from generous Kiwis and our partners, we would not be able to make as big of an impact. The support from everyday Kiwis is just as important, so if you are in a position to help out, it is always welcome,” said Page.
The Christmas Joy Store is open from 1st December until 22nd December. Please visit the website for additional information: https://www.kindness.org.nz/joystore
