LEGO: Not Just for Boys

by Megan Thomas-Soffe on June 22nd, 2012 | No Comments »

LEGO has finally come out with a line for girls called “LEGO Friends.” LEGO has conducted some research over the past few months on why boys can sustain a higher level of interest in LEGO play than girls. Although they firmly believe that the LEGO building experience is gender neutral and children should choose toys based on their interests, they really only have a small amount of girls playing with the LEGO bricks. Thousands of girls and their mothers worldwide participated in intensive research that validated the desire for more beauty, realistic details, accessories, interior building, and role play opportunities in LEGO offering.

They also realized that after having a group of boys and girls who were separately building LEGO towers, that the boys would build the tower and then use it as a back drop to their sword fight. Whereas the girls would build the tower and then look inside to see if there was anything to play with. When the girls realized that there were no accessories for them to play with along with the LEGOS, they would loose interest.

Based on the research, LEGO came out with a new line called LEGO Friends. After only three months on the market, LEGO Friends has tripled the number of girls interested in LEGO play. Having a 3-year-old girl, I was thrilled to hear that she would now have more LEGOs geared more toward her type of play. I do believe LEGO play can boost a kid's creativity by forcing them to create something of their own and use their imagination. I’m excited that girls can now take part in this and feel more involved.

What were some of your favorite toys to play with as a kid?

I’ve been living in New York City for the past 5 years where I’ve become a wife, mother of 2, and an owner/operator of an up and coming eyelash extension business. Before my life in NYC, I was working as a professional makeup artist working in the fashion, television, and film industry. Being a mother of 2 in the city has its challenges but I’ve grown to absolutely love city life and what it has to offer. We’ve been having a blast exploring the city and finding some fun things to do with kids.