LEGO announces worldwide International Day of Play plans

The LEGO Group’s plans for the 2025 International Day of Play have been detailed, bringing kids’ creative ideas to life in cities around the globe.

A new global study from the LEGO Group has found that nearly seven in 10 parents don’t feel their city offers safe and accessible play spaces designed for children, and there’s now a plan to counteract this in four cities around the world.

For the International Day of Play 2025, the LEGO Group will demonstrate how kids’ ideas can transform cities, as promised last month. Urban spaces in Boston, Berlin, London and Shanghai will be transformed into playful immersive experiences for kids and families. In addition, the LEGO Group has teamed up with world-renowned street artist Joe Hill to bring those ideas to life in the form of a 3D art optical illusion. 

“Play should not be limited to homes and schools – it should extend into our streets, parks and public spaces,” said Julia Goldin, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at the LEGO Group. “However, our research shows that children often feel overlooked in urban design.

“At the LEGO Group, we believe it is our role to help create a bridge between kids’ imagination and real life, and we know that a more playful world benefits everyone. This World Play Day, we’re providing kids with a platform to share their brilliant ideas, transforming their bold concepts into playful experiences that everyone can enjoy, and that we hope will inspire lasting change for generations to come.”  

Here’s how kids’ ideas will transform Berlin, Boston, Shanghai, and London for the International Day of Play on June 11, 2025.

Berlin

Urban spaces, such as local Spätis, across Berlin will be converted to pop-up play zones, inviting families to see how to add some creativity to everyday spaces.

The LEGO Group Germany will also work with Save the Children Germany to deliver accessible learning-through-play experiences across 10 locations in Berlin, aiming to reach over 17,000 individuals over the two-year program.

Boston

The Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston will be transformed into a playground hosting LEGO activities to showcase the power of creativity. This playground will take the form of a giant LEGO boombox.

The LEGO Group USA will also launch the Power of Play Boston initiative, featuring a series of local community partnerships such as learning programs at the Boston Public Library’s Central Library and all 25 neighbourhood branches, the Boston Children’s Museum and the Museum of Science.

Shanghai

Shanghai’s riverfront will see spaces embrace LEGO and creativity with a colourful makeover featuring several areas to play, models to admire, a stairway lined with giant minifigures and much more.

The LEGO Group China is also starting a two-year partnership with Shanghai United Foundation to bring Learning through Play to migrant children and the community in Shanghai. This includes refurbishing LEGO playrooms, donating play boxes, and offering play-based social-emotional learning sessions to benefit over 15,000 children.

London

The brightly-coloured Play Pavilion is set to be unveiled in partnership with Serpentine, located at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. It opens later today until August and offers an area for children to play and explore their creativity, complete with giant sculptures.

The Power of Play program will also continue in London after it was launched in 2023. The program aims to enhance access to play and shift attitudes towards playful learning in the borough by providing play opportunities at home, school, and in the community for underserved children and their families. The Power of Play program has reached 21,000 children since its inception.

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