LEGO teams up with TED to create new Play@TED events

The LEGO Group, the LEGO Foundation, and Ted are teaming up to create Play@TED, a new partnership that blends play and education.

Play@TED is a new partnership between the three organisations designed to bring play and education together. Funded by a grant from the LEGO Foundation as part of the annual UN International Day of Play, the goal of the organisation is to host playful learning experiences, culminating in an in-person Play@TED event at the TED World Theatre in New York on May 14, 2026.

That event will be aimed at parents, educators and policy-makers, featuring TED Talks from experts on the role and impact of creative play. The day will be focused on three key pillars: the transformative power of play, play as a mindset for all, and how imagination can take us anywhere. The public will also be able to watch along via livestream.

Confirmed speakers so far include: Creative Health Scientist and co-founder & Chief Science Officer of Daydreamers Katina Bajaj; AI and Education Researcher at the MIT Media Lab's Personal Robots group Randi Williams; and Harlem Globetrotters basketball player Maxwell "Hops" Pearce.

After the event, digital resources will be made available to parents and educators via an Action Hub on TED-Ed's education platform, as well as five new educational animations made available for free via the organisation's YouTube channel.

"We often hear that necessity is the mother of invention, and fundamental needs certainly inspire innovation, but many of the most durable, delightful and beneficial points of human progress spring from the desire to collaborate, to entertain and to play," said Logan Smalley, Founder and Executive Director of TED-Ed at TED Conferences. "This partnership between TED, the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation celebrates that fact, and aims to help people remember that play should be a priority in homes, schools and communities throughout the world."

Last month, TED-Ed already worked with the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation to host a Connect Week, bringing over 300 students aged between eight and 18 together from across 27 countries to take part in experiences to build skills like confidence, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Further events are planned in collaboration with TEDx organisers worldwide, specifically designed to offer Play@TED ideas to local communities.

“Creative play is more than just fun – it's a spark for change," said Remi Marcelli, SVP Global Brand Development at the LEGO Group. "By teaming up with TED, we want to ignite a global movement to make play a cornerstone of creativity and innovation in homes, schools and communities everywhere. Together, we are committed to inspiring brighter minds and building a future where play is at the heart of learning and growth in every community.”

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