LEGO, LEGO Foundation & TED Launch Play@TED Global Initiative

The LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation have partnered with TED to launch Play@TED, a new global initiative designed to reshape how people of all ages think about play. The collaboration aims to spark a worldwide movement that places creative play at the centre of learning, innovation and community.

The partnership between LEGO and TED is supported by a grant from the LEGO Foundation in support of the United Nations International Day of Play on the 11th of June 2026. The LEGO Group often celebrate this occasion, releasing a range of International Day of Play Gift With Purchases and highlighting how the international toy brand supports play and the development of young minds through everything they do.

And 2026 will be no different as the Danes collaborate with the nonprofit, nonpartisan organisation TED. Having begun in 1984, TED is dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. The organisation is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge - exactly what LEGO encourage with every single child that engages with a LEGO brick.

At the heart of the initiative between the two organisations is a major live event named Play@TED. This in-person event will be held at the TED World Theatre in New York City on the 14th of May 2026, aimed at parents, educators and policy-makers, discussing the role and impact of creative play. The day will be centred on the transformative power of play, play as a mindset for all ages and how imagination can unlock new possibilities.

Confirmed speakers include Katina Bajaj, Creative Health Scientist and co-founder of Daydreamers, Randi Williams, an AI and education researcher at the MIT Media Lab's Personal Robots group, and Maxwell Pearce of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. Each speaker will bring a different and unique perspective on how play supports creativity, confidence and collaboration, both in childhood and beyond.

In the lead-up to the live event, more than 300 students aged 8 to 18 from 27 countries participated in a virtual Connect Week hosted by TED Ed, the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation. During this week, students reflected on playful experiences that helped develop real-world skills like problem-solving, teamwork and resilience. Their contributions will shape the Play@TED conversation and highlight the importance of play in the growth of young people.

And following the event, TED Ed will launch an Action Hub on its education platform to help parents, policy-makers, and communities turn ideas into action. A dedicated Learning Lab will provide educators with resources, discussion points, quizzes and curricula aimed to make it easier for schools to embed playful learning into existing teaching frameworks.

Readers who want to follow the initiative can sign up for updates, curated videos and information about events at www.ted.com/play. With World Play Day on the 11th of June 2026, Play@TED will play a central role in LEGO's celebration of the power of play, but what do you think? How will you make play a priority in 2026? What skills could you or your children develop through LEGO? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.