Lego breaks down gender stereotypes with new inclusive toy range
Toy manufacturer Lego has taken a major step towards inclusivity by releasing a new line of toys that is not designed specifically for one gender
READING LEVEL: ORANGE
Lego has weighed into the inclusivity* debate with the release of a new range of toys that are not designed specifically for one gender*.
The toy manufacturer said it wanted to break down the “silos between girls and boys” with its Lego DREAMZzz release – which includes a pegasus horse, a robot, a crocodile car and a shark ship.
“Our research has been so lengthy because we wanted to invite both genders equally to this franchise* so it’s important that everything we developed would resonate* with boys and girls equally, which is why we had to pivot* many times,” Lego Group’s head of product Marcia Marks Laursen said.
“This asks a lot of questions to the industry like where do we place these products, who are they for?”
Australian Catholic University Associate Professor Laura Scholes said it was “great news” toy producers were ditching “stereotypes*”.
“It’s a good acknowledgment* from these bigger companies, which will help parents get on board,” Professor Scholes said.
“It’s actually often grandparents who stick to stereotypes, because that is what they are used to.”
Professor Scholes said the location of toys on shelves might also have to be reassessed*, with products aimed at boys traditionally separated from those aimed at girls.
Lego sought input from 23,000 children across 29 countries, including Australia, for its DREAMZzz line.
The toys are complemented* by a DREAMZzz TV series* that follows the adventures of school friends Mateo, Izzie, Cooper, Logan and Zoey as they join a secret agency* and learn to use the power of imagination to journey into the Dream World – and learn to defeat the tyrannical Nightmare King.
The project has been four years in the making, from initial tests, through to writing and 18 months of animation production.
Lego head of entertainment Keith Malone said the Lego team engaged experts to help accurately reflect the school setting and related issues that are the backdrop* of the TV series, as well as sleep experts.
“We had a dream psychologist* who said ‘Well what I do is I help kids understand through practice that there are cognitive* ways that you can actually take control of your dreams’,” he said.
Lego’s research found that 67 per cent of children in Australia said dreaming helped them explore their creative imagination.
The DREAMZzz series will debut* on Lego’s YouTube Channel, Netflix and Amazon Prime from May 15.
A further 10 episodes will follow with the release of the DREAMZzz toys in August.
GLOSSARY
- inclusivity: when everyone is treated equally and not left out
- gender: whether someone is a boy or a girl
- franchise: a group of toys that are related to each other
- resonate: when something is appealing to someone
- pivot: to change direction or strategy
- stereotypes: when people believe things about someone based on their gender, race, or other characteristic, without knowing if it is true
- acknowledgment: when someone recognises that something is true or important
- reassessed: to reconsider something and see if it is still the best way to do things
- complemented: when something is made better by adding something else to it
- series: a group of episodes that tell a story
- agency: a group of people who work together to do a specific job
- backdrop: the background of a story or situation
- psychologist: a person who helps people with their feelings and thoughts
- cognitive: having to do with the brain and how it thinks
- debut: when something is shown for the first time
EXTRA READING
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Lego turns plastic bottles into bricks
Lego whiz builds mini hometown
QUICK QUIZ
- What is the name of the new Lego toy range and what does it include?
- Why did Lego decide to create a gender-neutral toy range and what challenges did they face during the development process?
- How many children were involved in Lego’s research for the DREAMZzz line and in which countries was it conducted?
- What is the DREAMZzz TV series about and who are the main characters?
- What are the reactions of Australian Catholic University Associate Professor Laura Scholes and Lego head of entertainment Keith Malone to the release of the DREAMZzz line?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Never Underestimate!
Write a story, or a script, for an episode of ‘DREAMZzz’. Use information in the story to help you.
Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity.
Curriculum Links: English.
2. Extension
Write a story for Grandparents News. The purpose of your story is to help Grandparents understand stereotypes and help them to buy more inclusive toys for their Grandkids.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity.
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability, Health and Physical Education.
VCOP ACTIVITY
Grammar and VCOP
The glossary of terms helps you to understand and learn the ambitious vocabulary being used in the article. Can you use the words outlined in the glossary to create new sentences? Challenge yourself to include other VCOP (vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation) elements in your sentence/s. Have another look through the article, can you find any other Wow Words not outlined in the glossary?