Lego is the biggest toy company in the world, writes Jonathan Ringen on Fast Company. The Danish company has found “a clear distinction between American and European parents,” researcher Anne Flemmert-Jensen says.
American parents don’t like play experiences where they have to step in and help their kids a lot. They want their kids to be able to play by themselves. We see among European parents, it’s okay to sit on the floor and spend time with the kids.
The pink- and purple-accented Lego Friends, designed to attract girls, is designed for role playing, writes Ringen. By contrast, boys like a strong narrative. “Boy-focused lines like Ninjago and Legends of Chima . . . come with almost comically detailed backstories,” he writes. Both boys and girls like to build.
Lego, you are dead to me, writes Molly Wood. Once kids “grew up happily constructing elaborate vehicles, castles, cities, and imaginary lands.” Now they’re asked to buy increasingly expensive sets.