LEGO Playwell Study – Perspectives from parents and children in the UAE

The study sheds light on the predominant role that toy products play in building key skills

More than 90% of parents in the UAE believe that play is key in helping children learn new things.

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 findings, which presents parent and child perceptions on the benefits of family play, children's play preferences, future-oriented skills and learning through play.

Parents in the UAE have spoken in the LEGO Play Well Study 2022*, emphasizing why play must be prioritized and protected with 92% of parents in the UAE believing 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% 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 around this topic and 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 states 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% 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% of children in the UAE state that playing with construction toys such as LEGO products makes them feel happy. Adding to this, 92% of children in the UAE state that LEGO play helps them make new friends and 96% even confirmed learning new things through LEGO play.

With exceptional insights backed by the 2022 LEGO® Play Well Study, parents, educators and key decision-makers in the UAE can begin to encourage dialogue around sustainability. To succeed in this mission and help all children develop the skills that will help them fulfil their potential while protecting the environment, leading brands in the toy industry, inclusive of The LEGO Group, must continue to play their part in building a more sustainable future.

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 prioritize and protect play.