International Day of Play is more than a fun date on the calendar
Every year on June 11, the world celebrates the International Day of Play. It is a day built around a simple but powerful idea: play is not a luxury. Play is part of childhood. It helps children learn, connect, imagine, fail safely, try again and grow.
That might sound obvious, but in daily life play is often the first thing to disappear. School gets busy. Parents get busy. Screens compete for attention. Toys become more expensive. Family time gets squeezed into the small spaces left between work, chores and everything else.
That is why the message behind International Day of Play matters.
The LEGO Group has been one of the strongest global voices in this conversation. For more than 90 years, LEGO has built its brand around the idea of “play well”. In recent years, LEGO has used World Play Day and its Play Well research to show something many families already feel: children need more time, more space and more permission to play.
At Gebruiktspeelgoed.nl, we fully agree with that message. But we would add one important point: meaningful play should also be accessible. Children do not always need the newest set, the biggest box or the most expensive release to experience the power of play. Sometimes, a carefully checked second-hand LEGO set, a box of used bricks or a handful of minifigures can open the same door to imagination.
And that is exactly why International Day of Play feels so relevant to us.
What is International Day of Play?
International Day of Play takes place every year on June 11. It was established to raise awareness of every child’s right to play and to remind families, schools, businesses and governments that play is essential for children’s development and wellbeing.
For 2026, UNICEF describes the theme as: “Protect play, protect childhood.”
That sentence says a lot. It frames play not as a nice extra, but as something adults have a responsibility to protect. If childhood is becoming busier, more digital, more pressured and less free, then play needs defending.
LEGO’s own World Play Day campaign follows the same line. Their 2026 message, “Never Stop Playing”, highlights a global play deficit: many families want to play more together, but daily life gets in the way. According to LEGO’s latest research, families who play together for more than five hours a week report higher happiness and wellbeing than families who play together for less than two hours.
That is a powerful insight. Not because every family now needs another target to hit, but because it shows that play has real value. It is not wasted time. It is connection time.
LEGO’s message is clear: play builds more than models
LEGO often says that play helps children develop skills such as creativity, confidence, resilience, problem-solving and collaboration. Anyone who has watched a child build with LEGO bricks will recognise that immediately.
A child building a tower is not only stacking bricks. They are testing balance. They are making decisions. They are dealing with frustration when it falls. They are learning that “try again” is not failure, but part of the process.
A child building a city is not only following instructions or making streets. They are creating stories. They are thinking about homes, people, vehicles, rules, roles and relationships.
A child playing together with another child is not only sharing bricks. They are negotiating, waiting, explaining, listening and sometimes learning that their idea is not the only idea in the room.
That is the beauty of LEGO play. It looks simple from the outside, but inside that play there is a lot happening.
The LEGO Foundation describes playful learning through five qualities: joyful, meaningful, actively engaging, iterative and socially interactive. In normal words: children learn best when play feels fun, makes sense to them, keeps their mind active, allows them to try again, and gives them a chance to connect with others.
This is also why LEGO works so well across generations. Parents, grandparents, children, collectors and educators all understand the same basic language: here are the bricks, now build something.
The play gap is also an access gap
There is one part of the play conversation that deserves more attention: access.
When we talk about children needing more play, we should also ask whether every child can actually reach it. Do they have time? Do they have a safe place? Do they have someone to play with? Do they have materials that invite imagination? Can the family afford them?
This is where we believe second-hand LEGO has a real role to play.
LEGO bricks are made to last. They can be built, taken apart, sorted, lost, found, cleaned, rebuilt and passed on. A set that has already been loved by one family can still become a spaceship, a castle, a police station, a zoo, a dragon cave or a completely new invention for another child.
To us, second-hand LEGO is not second choice. It is often the most playful choice.
Why? Because used LEGO naturally invites rebuilding. It is less precious. It gives children permission to experiment. A pre-owned LEGO set does not have to stay perfect forever. It can become part of a bigger world. A missing sticker does not stop the story. A different coloured brick might even make the build more interesting.
That fits the spirit of International Day of Play perfectly.
Play should not depend on buying new
We love LEGO. We also believe that the future of play cannot only be about buying more new products.
International Day of Play is a good moment to rethink that. If the goal is more children playing, learning and connecting, then we should make better use of the toys that already exist. Millions of LEGO bricks are sitting in attics, cupboards, storage boxes and forgotten drawers. Many of them still have years of play left in them.
Giving those bricks a second life is good for families, good for children and better for the planet.
It also teaches children something valuable: things can have more than one life. A toy does not become useless because another child played with it first. A brick does not lose its imagination because it has been built before.
In fact, that history can make it richer.
At Gebruiktspeelgoed.nl, we see used LEGO as part of a more sustainable play culture. We check, sort and offer second-hand LEGO so more families can enjoy quality play without always needing to buy new. That is practical, affordable and circular. But more importantly, it keeps play moving.
From one child to the next. From one story to the next. From one build to the next.
Our view: play needs adults who take it seriously
One of the most striking LEGO research findings from recent years is that many children feel adults do not always take play seriously. That should make us pause.
Children already know play matters. Adults are the ones who forget.
We often see play as a reward after the “important” things are done. Finish your homework, then play. Clean your room, then play. Sit still, be quiet, hurry up, behave and then maybe there is time left to play.
But what if play is one of the important things?
Through play, children process the world. They practise social situations. They express emotions they do not yet have words for. They build confidence. They discover what they like. They learn how to solve problems without being handed the answer.
That does not mean adults need to turn every play moment into a lesson. Actually, the opposite is often true. The best play is not over-managed. It gives children room to lead.
As adults, our role is to protect the conditions for play: time, space, safety, materials and encouragement.
Sometimes that means sitting on the floor and building together. Sometimes it means asking, “What are you making?” instead of saying, “That’s not how the instructions go.” Sometimes it means accepting the weird spaceship with wheels, wings and a crocodile on top because, in that child’s world, it makes perfect sense.
Small ways to celebrate International Day of Play
International Day of Play does not need to be complicated. You do not need a big event or a perfect activity. The whole point is to make play easier to start.
Here are a few simple ideas:
Build without instructions.
Put a small pile of LEGO bricks on the table and choose a theme: build a dream house, a rescue vehicle, a silly animal or a playground from the future.
Create a family challenge.
Give everyone the same number of bricks and ten minutes to build something that can fly, float, roll or make people laugh.
Let children lead.
Ask your child to explain the rules of their play world. Then follow their story instead of correcting it.
Mix old and new bricks.
Combine second-hand LEGO with existing sets at home. This often creates the best kind of play: unexpected, open-ended and personal.
Pass play on.
Donate, sell or share LEGO bricks that are no longer being used. The set that is finished in one home can start a whole new adventure somewhere else.
Why this day matters to us
International Day of Play reminds us why we do what we do.
We are not just selling used LEGO sets or second-hand bricks. We are helping play continue. We are making quality toys more accessible. We are giving products a longer life. We are supporting a more circular way of thinking. And we are helping children, families and collectors rediscover the simple joy of building.
LEGO is right to call play powerful. But power does not always come from something new. Sometimes it comes from a box of bricks that has already seen a few adventures and is ready for the next one.
So on June 11, we celebrate play in all its forms: new builds, old bricks, wild ideas, messy tables, half-finished castles, rebuilt spaceships and children who are given the time and freedom to imagine.
Because play is not just something children do.
Play is how childhood breathes.
FAQ
When is International Day of Play?
International Day of Play takes place every year on June 11.
Why is International Day of Play important?
It raises awareness of every child’s right to play and highlights how play supports creativity, confidence, social skills, resilience, learning and wellbeing.
What does LEGO say about play?
LEGO describes play as essential for children’s development. Through World Play Day and its Play Well research, LEGO encourages families to make more time for play and shows how play supports skills such as creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, resilience and confidence.
Is second-hand LEGO good for creative play?
Yes. Second-hand LEGO is ideal for creative play because it can be rebuilt, mixed with other bricks and used in open-ended ways. It also makes quality LEGO play more accessible and sustainable.
Why buy used LEGO?
Used LEGO gives bricks and sets a second life. It can be more affordable, more sustainable and just as imaginative as new LEGO. A pre-owned LEGO set can still create completely new stories.
