Connecting Play and Education
Tens of millions of children around the world enter the primary school system, but formal education systems are failing to develop children into creative, engaged lifelong learners who can benefit their families, their communities and society as a whole.
There is an emerging global consensus - e.g. the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals - that quality of education must be improved in education. Many governments and systems are starting to recognise that traditional education solutions are inadequate for children to develop the skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.
With this programme, the LEGO Foundation aims to establish play-based learning as a critical component of the educational system, enabling teachers and schools to prioritise quality learning through play and to build the capacity to influence traditional forms of education. The programme focuses primarily on making play an integral part of development and learning for children in the 5–12 age group.
Our focus areas within this programme are:
- Governments: We work with key academic influencers, NGOs and key funders to advocate Learning through Play curricula to policy makers and government officials and to promote play within school policy
- Kindergarten/school systems: We target school leaders/groups with campaigns, materials and methodologies that convince them to actively pursue and implement Learning through Play curricula and policy
- Teachers: We target teacher education and teacher groups/ unions to change mindsets and build demand for change, and to promote training to enable teachers to employ learning through play
