If you’ve got a daughter over six years old, you’ll know that anything that captivates her attention for over 10 minutes — and isn’t a screen — is an instant yes.
LEGO sets are up there as one the most iconic children’s toys, having been an enduring feature in play boxes across the globe since the very first brick was made in 1958.
But despite having the ability to keep your little girl occupied for endless hours, the colourful building blocks are still viewed as boy toys.
When children hear the word ‘builder’, around 36% of them will think about a boy playing with building blocks, while 39% will think about a man on a construction site, new global research commissioned by The LEGO Group.
Worse yet, parents and children are both five times more likely to associate the term ‘building’ with masculinity rather than femininity.
In a world where building is still seen through a gendered lens, the LEGO brand wants to encourage girls to be builders too with its new sets, and we’re loving the creative designs.
For storytellers, there’s the new 99-piece Unicorn & Flamingo Pool Party, £8.99, which is packed with pretend-play opportunities, and the 376-piece Heartlake City Sweet Shop, £24.99, which mums have reviewed provides ‘hours and hours of fun’ to their daughters.
If your daughter is an animal lover, there’s the 66-piece Puppy Playground, £8.99, and 145-piece Magical Unicorn, £8.99, which was dubbed ‘the perfect blend of simplicity and bright colors to capture the magical unicorn feeling’.
Nature lovers will adore the ‘beyond cute’ Happy Plants, £17.99, and the 1138-piece Plant Café & Flower Shop, £79.99, which tells the story of Aliya, Olly, Nova, Esma and Nugget the cat, who all love to hang out at the flower shop and café.
The girl-power sets have been released in conjunction with the LEGO brand's new She Built That campaign. The toy maker has re-imagined RUN DMC’s iconic hip hop track It’s Like That into a fresh tune, named She Built That, to encourage more young girls to play with LEGO sets.
The main aim? To remind youngsters and their parents that building is as much for girls as it is for boys.
What the experts say about girls building with LEGO sets
“Being a builder goes beyond hard hats and hammers,” says Lena Dixen, SVP, Product Group, Core Businesses at The LEGO Group. “It’s about harnessing the creative potential within every young person to construct dreams, forge connections and shape the future.
"Every girl and woman is a builder - whether it’s assembling teams, tackling challenges, or pushing boundaries.”
Nic Taylor, SVP at the LEGO Group and Head of Our LEGO Agency adds: “As we set out to celebrate the incredible creativity of female builders, repurposing RUN DMC's iconic song was a natural choice.
It's Like That has always been about challenging norms and inspiring change, and this reimagined anthem, She Built That, is a movement to redefine what it means to be a builder.
"We want to inspire girls everywhere to see themselves as creators and pioneers, capable of shaping their world in extraordinary ways."
To help champion and celebrate girls' creativity, LEGO® Stores in the UK & Ireland are hosting fresh MAKE & TAKE events on 12 July from 10:00 to 12:00 and 13 July from 12:00 to 14:00, where kids can build a LEGO® Boom Box and take it home for free. This activity is intended for children aged 6+ and may not be suitable for children under 6.
Visit your nearby LEGO® Store for in-store building activities and more. Find your nearest at LEGO.com/stores.
