Lego breaks down gender stereotypes with new inclusive toy range

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.

https://www.kidsnews.com.au/humanities/lego-breaks-down-gender-stereotypes-with-new-inclusive-toy-range/news-story/07f131abd2955bdf6700ab1b842092d8