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THE LEGO GROUP ENCOURAGES GIRLS TO PLAY UNSTOPPABLE

Company inspires girls and their parents to embrace and empower playful exploration of all interests, passions and imagination to unlock girls’ limitless potential with summer program

ENFIELD, Connecticut (June 5, 2023) – Today, the LEGO Group launched Play Unstoppable to inspire and celebrate girls’ endless potential when they have opportunities to play without limits. Throughout the summer, Play Unstoppable offers several ways for girls and their families to explore different passions including:

  • Join Team Unstoppable, a roster of inspiring female role models who play their way across multiple passions
  • Playfully explore varied interests at the immersive LEGO® Play Stadium Experience
  • Visit one of three new mini-pitches in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation that support more play opportunities for girls
  • Build any of the 650 LEGO® sets designed to meet any child’s interest

Since the 1958 debut of the LEGO® brick people today know and love, the LEGO Group understood that girls play in a multitude of ways that reflect their personal interests and personalities. Research commissioned by the LEGO Group and carried out by the Geena Davis Institute in 2021[1], found that girls feel increasingly confident to engage in all types of play and creative activities, but remain held back by society’s ingrained gender stereotypes. Findings indicated:

  • Girls feel less restrained by and are less supportive of typical gender biases than boys when it comes to creative play –62% of girls believe that some activities are just meant for girls, while others are meant for boys, compared to 74% of boys
  • Girls feel more empowered than boys to ignore stereotypes when it comes to creative play – only 42% of girls said they worry they will be made fun of if they play with toys that boys play with, compared to 71% of boys who worry they will be made fun of if they play with toys that girls play with
  • Girls are ready for everyone to embrace their interests without judgment – 82% of girls believe it’s okay for girls to play soccer and boys to practice ballet, compared to only 71% of boys feeling similarly

To continue to fuel girls’ playful curiosity, Play Unstoppable supports girls in their unrestricted playful pursuits and encourage others to do the same.

THE LEGO GROUP ENCOURAGES GIRLS TO PLAY UNSTOPPABLE  

Company introduces Team Unstoppable, scouts for more players
A group of incredible and inspiring women and girls who break down societal stereotypes and play their own way form the starting lineup of the LEGO Group’s Team Unstoppable, including soccer legend Megan Rapinoe, journalist and author Elaine Welteroth, Olympic gymnast Sunisa Lee, content creator and entrepreneur Anna Sitar, clothing designer Kheris Rogers, kid journalist Jazlyn Guerra, content creator and educator Taylor Cassidy, and many others. Beginning today, girls and parents everywhere are encouraged to join the team and commit to inspiring girls to play their way, defy expectations, unlock imagination and foster creative experimentation, whatever their passions may be.

“We want to show the world what’s possible when we encourage girls to explore their interests freely, without the influence of unintentionally false assumptions of what they may like to do, how they want to play, or who they can or should be,” said Renee Guida, director, Masterbrand at the LEGO Group. “In support, we offer a wide range of play experiences and initiatives that ensure girls are free to play in any way they feel is right for them, especially as they continue exploring what interests them.”

Former captain of the U.S. women’s national soccer team Megan Rapinoe added, “Children have multiple passions. Often people tend to nurture the ones that emerge or the ones we’d like to see grow stronger, but it’s so important for girls to feel they can freely explore more than one passion and play their own way. Everyone knows me as a force on the field, but off the field love fashion and am passionate about equality. It's so important for girls to know and explore in their own lives, too.”

The most recent LEGO® Play Well study (2022) indicates that nine in 10 children think play helps them try new ideas, do new things, and to feel creative. Parents today can encourage creative experimentation in a way they perhaps did not experience, as the study also showed that 50% of parents confessed that they were not allowed to play with toys traditionally associated with the opposite gender when they were young.

Enter the LEGO® Play Stadium
A national tour of the larger-than-life, fully immersive LEGO® Play Stadium Experience, free to the public, stops in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Columbus, Atlanta and Houston this summer. Girls and their families will be inspired to let their imaginations run free within the 6,500 sq-ft play space, full of photo opportunities and LEGO® brick building activities. Guests receive an RFID band that brings the experience to life and unlocks LEGO® minifigure surprises as they explore, build, and play their way through several distinct zones. They can then customize their digital minifigure likeness to add to the Team Unstoppable Hall of Fame, honoring their commitment to playing their way.

Families are welcomed, but the experience is recommended for ages 6+. To learn more and pre-register for a free entry ticket, visit www.LEGO.com/play-unstoppable.

The LEGO Group and U.S. Soccer Foundation open mini-pitches in several communities
In celebration of limitless play opportunities for girls, the LEGO Group and U.S. Soccer Foundation have partnered to open three permanent, state-of-the-art mini-pitches in local communities, including the first-ever mini-pitch in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and additional mini-pitches in South Carolina and Richmond, Virginia.

The mini-pitches provide children with a safe place to play whatever their imagination inspires – from a passionate soccer match to an inventive game of tag – encouraging unstructured and unstoppable play within the local community.

Start building with new LEGO® Icons of Play
To mark the unstoppable power of women’s soccer and the incredible talent of icons Megan Rapinoe, Yūki Nagasato, Sam Kerr and Asisat Oshoala, the company is launching LEGO® Icons of Play, a new soccer-themed building set featuring all four players in minifigure form, inviting girls to explore their love of ‘the Beautiful Game’ through LEGO® play. The set includes 899 pieces, is recommended for ages 10+, and is available on LEGO.com and at LEGO Stores beginning June 6 for $99.99 USD.

The set joins an expansive portfolio of LEGO® play materials that appeal to a wide range of passion points for any girls’ interest. From Friendship, Gaming, Art & Design, Sports, and Nature & Animals, there is a LEGO® solution, including LEGO® Friends, LEGO® Super Mario, LEGO® Minecraft, LEGO® CITY, LEGO® Creator 3-in-1, and more.

More Information
Play Unstoppable demonstrates the endless possibilities of the LEGO System in Play. All Play Unstoppable content, including an introduction to the campaign, Girls Play related articles and more will be available on LEGO.com.

For more information, visit LEGO.com/play-unstoppable or contact [email protected].

Notes to Editor

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 the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace active and healthy behaviors while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org.

[1] The research surveyed 6,844 parents and children aged 6-14 years old in China, Czech Republic, Japan, Poland, Russia, UK and USA in 2021.