Striving to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through play The LEGO Group commissioned a cross-cultural survey of attitudes and behaviours related to play. The one-of-a-kind LEGO Play Well 2022 study was built on the 2018 and 2020 LEGO Play Well research finding, which presents parent and child perceptions on the benefits of family play, children's play preferences, future-oriented skills and learning through play.
All findings from the report were gathered from 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.
Parents in the UAE have spoken in the LEGO Play Well Study 2022, emphasising why play must be prioritised and protected. 92 per cent of parents believe that play is key in helping children learn new things and LEGO products help with their children’s development.
The nation’s generation of tomorrow, the children of the UAE, also confirmed their affinity towards LEGO play, as it offers them a fun way to hone ways of thinking, creating and testing new ideas. 96 per cent of children expressed that playing with LEGO bricks is a fun activity to do with their parents, and that play makes them feel creative.
With exceptional insights backed by the Play Well study, parents, educators and even key decision-makers in the UAE can begin to encourage conversations that inspire the movement towards play in everyday life. The Play Well study also conveys impactful insights on themes that revolve around parents and children's perceptions of the benefits of family play, as well as digital child safety, sustainability and diversity equity and inclusion (DEI).
The research demonstrates that the attitudes toward childhood recreation and future career interests are largely influenced by the toys they engage with during the first few years of a child's life when brain development is most adaptive and rapidly developing. Over 75 per cent of parents who participated in the survey agree with this statement and believe that the toys they buy can influence how their children see the world and therefore, diversity, equity, and inclusion should be a priority for all toy companies.
Shedding light on the power of play and the predominant role that toy products play in building key skills, the study revealed that children love and acknowledge the value of LEGO play. 97 per cent of children in the UAE state that playing with construction toys such as LEGO products makes them feel happy. Adding to this, 92 per cent of children in the UAE state that LEGO play helps them make new friends and 96 per cent even confirmed learning new things through LEGO play.
To succeed in the mission of helping all children develop the skills that will help them fulfil their potential, leading brands in the toy industry, inclusive of The LEGO Group, must continue to play their part in building a more sustainable future.
With the festive season kicking in, LEGO products are the perfect gifts for your kids. Owing to the versatility and variety of LEGO products, they make ideal gifts to contribute to a child’s collection thus harbouring a wider scope of creativity. Moreover, LEGO bricks are durable and once a masterpiece is created, they last for years without breaking.
The valuable local insights from the LEGO Play Well Study provide key pillars of interest across various sectors that will help support youth by igniting the flame of the power of play and equipping families with the tools, time and space needed to prioritise and protect play.
