Global research conducted by the LEGO Group reveals that 68% of young people want to see more toys and characters portray different emotions to better reflect real life, and the new re-imagined LEGO Friends sets help achieve this.
A decade on from the launch of LEGO® Friends, the LEGO Group has re-imagined the Friends Universe: an all-new line up of characters and accompanying TV-series hosted on their YouTube channel. It comes at a time when the ups and downs of friendship are not widely shown on TV or in the online content kids consume, meaning many young children are left to navigate these complex feelings, without understanding that it’s completely normal and that others are feeling the same.
The LEGO Group has conducted an in-depth piece of global research to understand more about the diversity and complexity of modern friendships amongst young children around the globe. Focusing on kids aged 6-12 years old, the research aims to shine a light on the importance friendships has on the wellbeing of kids in early childhood.
The study reveals that over half (56%) of the 18,000 kids who globally took part in the survey, reported that they recently felt worried and as a result, 9 in 10 (90%) turned to their friends as a source of comfort.
The LEGO Group, UK Research Findings
In the UK, 1,000 children aged 6-12 participated in the research, with findings confirming that the theme of friendship is still an important part of child development as the findings showed;
• 93% agreed that it’s good to have a rich and diverse friendship group who can teach you different things
• 96% confirmed that friends made them feel happy, with 88% saying friends help make them feel better when they have a problem
• The most common topics children talk to their friends about include school (62%), toys/games (59%), thing they like to do (57%), TV/films (52%) and hobbies (48%)
When asked if it would be good for more toys to feature characters that embodied different emotions, four in five (80%) agreed, claiming this was a truer reflection of real life. A fifth (19%) of children say the never or rarely see characters that are sad, worried, angry, scared, lonely, tired, distracted or stressed when watching TV or something online.
The research revealed that the bedroom is seen as a safe space for children, with one in four (24%) talking to their friends about how they are feeling in their or their friend’s bedroom;
• Three in ten (30%) also said it a space where they can go if they feel sad or worried
• It also has a positive impact, and plays a huge part in expressing self-identity, with two in five (44%) seeing it as a place they can have fun and 31% saying it reflects what they like and who they are
• Sleep tops the list of things children enjoy doing in their bedroom (74%) followed by playing with toys (56%), and reading (55%) .
Child psychologist Laverne Antrobus commented on the research saying:
“The research findings give a fascinating insight into the complexities of children’s friendships in the modern and increasingly diverse world that we are living in. It’s encouraging that children want to see diverse friendships represented in the content they watch and the toys that they play with. These changes will help children understand difference and give them the confidence to make relationships with others who are not the same as them. Learning from friends about how they are similar and different will ultimately help children to be accepting of others as they navigate friendships and relationships in the world that they are living in.
It’s great to see the new LEGO Friends universe will be fully inclusive and a better reflection of real-world friendships in 2023, so young people can play, explore and express their emotions with a more diverse range of characters and replicate these experiences in their everyday friendships.”
Fenella Charity, Creative Lead for LEGO Friends said;
“At the LEGO Group, we understand that children want the characters they encounter to be more like the diverse personalities they embody and the friends they meet in real life. We spoke with real kids; some even sent us letters about how they want to see themselves represented. To us, evolving our products is more than just checking a box on diversity but something deeply personal. We want to celebrate real kids’ life experiences and the re-imagined LEGO Friends universe aims to explore the emotional ups and downs and challenges of real friendships while including the vast range of visible and non-visible diversities that make them unique.”
The new generation of LEGO Friends is available to buy now with a LEGO Friends TV special available to watch on the LEGO YouTube channel. To find out more, visit www.lego.com/friends.
UK-Wide LEGO Friends Activities
The LEGO Group will be celebrating friendships with a range of UK activities to help children experience the joy and benefits of play themselves. These activities will include:
• Select LEGO® Stores from 6th February to 2nd April are giving visitors the opportunity to discover the new LEGO Friends characters through free and exciting building experiences such as:
• Discover the LEGO Friends: spin the wheel and find out more about one of the eight new LEGO Friends characters – and then build a set that aligns with that character’s passions before proudly displaying it in-store
• LEGO Friends Skate Ramp: During half term on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th February between 2-4pm come in-store to create a LEGO Friends Skate Ramp – that you can take home to play with your friends
• LEGO Friends Character Creator: In March you can design and customise your own LEGO Friends character (check with local store for exact timings)
• The LEGO Friends Bedrooms: Four of the new Friends LEGO bedroom sets will be on display for visitors to play with and customise
• Giant brick LEGO Friends: In the London Leicester Square Store you can grab a photo on the LEGO bench surrounded by giant brick versions of Nova, Aliya, Autumn and Leo. Plus scan the QR code to reveal the remaining four friends
• Four giant LEGO versions of the Friends bedrooms are being brought to life from the 18th -21st February in the Bullring Shopping Centre, Birmingham, where kids can meet, and take part in awesome activities with their favourite UK influencers
• A LEGO Friends Dream Bedroom competition is taking place from 4th February to 5th March 2023, where kids across the UK can design their ultimate sleepover space to be in with a chance of their own bedroom being transformed into their design, so they can throw the ultimate LEGO sleepover with friends. Kids can draw, build or paint their bedroom design, then upload their creation, along with a 100 word description that brings their entry to life, at www.promoentries.com/LEGOFriendsDreamBedroom (live from 4th February 2023)
• Anyone who enters the competition can collect a free LEGO Flower gift from their local participating LEGO Store on presenting proof of entry and voucher (15,000 gifts available to entrants, distributed across participating LEGO Stores in UK and Ireland; availability at each local store may vary, first come first served, available at each store while store supply lasts)
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