More than 145,000 children in Jordan are learning through play thanks to a partnership between the LEGO Foundation and UNICEF. Thousands of boxes with LEGO® play materials have been distributed in schools, kindergartens and Makani Centres throughout the country.

The support from the LEGO Foundation to UNICEF is helping children and their parents from vulnerable districts and Syrian refugees.

“UNICEF is delighted to partner with the LEGO Foundation to promote quality learning and provide psychosocial support for vulnerable children in classrooms and in their communities across Jordan,” said Robert Jenkins, Representative, UNICEF Jordan.

“Play is paramount for all children’s healthy development and fostering the breadth of skills they need to navigate a complex and uncertain world. We know that play is a critical means for alleviating trauma and building resilience, and that engaging in play-based activities with responsive caregivers will ultimately help to give vulnerable children a better path forward,” said Sarah Bouchie, Head of Learning through Play in Early Childhood, the LEGO Foundation.

In addition to the donation of LEGO bricks, over 1,000 Ministry of Education teachers and facilitators in double-shifted schools, schools in refugee camps, Kindergarten classes and Makani centres, are being trained in play-based methods that help children develop a broad set of skills.

Learning through play helps children develop five crucial skills - physical, creative, cognitive, social, emotional - that can improve the quality of their learning, help them recover from the trauma caused by conflict and other traumatic experiences and build their resilience