Today is World Play Day, a time to showcase the importance of play for kids’ development. So much so, the United Nations adopted an official International Day of Play and declared it a fundamental right for every child everywhere. This date is aimed at raising awareness about the importance of play in children’s lives and inspiring the world to ensure that all children can fulfil their human right to play. So grab some bricks and spend a few moments playing this World Play Day. Get some play ideas here.
Sam Thompson takes to the streets of London with the LEGO Group to spark World Play Day fun
The LEGO Group is partnering with Sam Thompson to encourage the nation to rediscover its playful side.
World Play Day is the LEGO Group’s annual celebration of the UN’s International Day of Play – a day dedicated to celebrating and protecting children’s right to play.
50% of UK parents say their workload or working hours make it harder for their family to play as much as they’d like.
Just five hours of family play a week is enough to boost family happiness and wellbeing.
London, UK, 11th June 2026: This World Play Day, the LEGO Group is encouraging families to rediscover the power of play as new research reveals the growing play deficit impacting families globally.
To encourage families to experience the joy and benefits of play, the LEGO Group has partnered with TV personality, radio presenter and self-confessed big kid, Sam Thompson. Taking to the streets of London armed with LEGO® bricks, Sam invited passers-by to put down their phones, step away from their busy schedules and rediscover the fun of hands-on play.
The activity was captured in a short-form social video, available below, which delivers a brick-clicking rally cry to inspire the nation to Never Stop Playing.
Sharing his own love of play, Sam said: “Play is such an important part of life, no matter how old you are. Everyone knows I’m a big kid at heart, so getting to celebrate World Play Day with the LEGO Group is a dream come true. Play brings people together and reminds us not to take life too seriously, and I think we could all do with a bit more of that.”
The activity follows recent research commissioned by the LEGO Group which has revealed that UK families are feeling the play deficit, with 50% of UK parents saying their workload or working hours make it harder for their family to play as much as they’d like, compared with 38% globally. The UK is also one of just four markets where children are significantly more likely than average to be unhappy with how much they play.
At the same time, it is one of only five markets where families experience a significantly higher wellbeing boost from spending five or more hours playing together each week, and one of only six markets where families see a significantly higher happiness boost from the same amount of playtime.
The play paradox: more important than ever but harder to find.
The research, conducted among 30,000 parents and 15,000 children aged 5 – 12 globally, found that while parents increasingly recognise play as essential for children’s wellbeing and happiness1, work, screentime and household chores are squeezing it to the margins2. One in five families also cite cost (17%) or lack of safe spaces (23%) as barriers to more family playtime.
When families do play though, it brings them superpowers – over 9 in 10 parents say it builds stronger family bonds (93%), helps their child make sense of the world (92%) and builds crucial skills like resilience, creativity and confidence (93%) that help children thrive today and in later life.
Building a world that Never Stops Playing
For over 90 years, the LEGO Group has championed the importance of play. The company helped support the adoption of the UN’s International Day of Play in 2024 and continues to mark the occasion with its annual June 11th World Play Day celebrations.
The company believes so much in the power of play that for the eleventh year in a row, over 33,000 colleagues will be stopping work on June 11th to make time to play themselves. In the lead up and on the day, LEGO Group employees will also be volunteering in huge numbers to bring more play to over 17,000 children in local communities around the world.
For inspiration on how to Never Stop Playing, visit: LEGO.com/World-Play-Day
11th June 2026
I find it interesting that LEGO spend millions on research to tell us something we should all know. Play is good for us!
Back in the 1950’s the inventor of the Self-locking building brick, which was copied by Ole Kirk and his son and developed into the LEGO brick, would visit nurseries (kindergartens) and observe children at play. He too concluded that play is good for us.
Seems LEGO copied more than just bricks!