Through local partnerships, like SOAR365 and hands-on employee volunteering, the LEGO Group supports initiatives that help children learn, grow, and thrive through play.

*Please note: this article was originally featured on LEGO.com. Click here to view the original post.

Richmond, VA, USA, 5 September 2025: Play is a powerful tool. Research* shows that it supports children to develop confidence, creativity, and the problem-solving skills they need for the future. The LEGO Group is partnering with local organizations to bring opportunities for play to children and families across Central Virginia.

These community-led efforts are creating spaces where imagination can grow and young minds can thrive. In 2025, six local nonprofits supported through grants are expected to reach nearly 400,000 children with programs designed to spark imagination, build confidence, and develop lifelong skills.

“In Central Virginia, children continue learning and developing skills through play,” says the LEGO Group’s US Director of Social Responsibility, Lauren Stevenson.

“By working hand in hand with local partners, we can create more of these lasting opportunities for children to thrive through the power of play.”

Six ways to play in Virginia

The wide variety of programs, events and activities supports unique opportunities to help children unlock their potential and develop critical life skills like problem solving, innovative thinking and creativity.

• Science Museum of Virginia – Grant supports the museum’s goal to help children excel in STEM by incorporating play into learning.
• Children’s Museum of Richmond – Includes support for I See Me Play in RVA!, an annual event that brings opportunities for creative learning and play to the community at no cost.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond – Funding supports Playful Pathways, a hands-on, skill-based program that empowers underserved youth through fun and engaging activities to inspire a love of learning and self-confidence.
• SOAR365 – Grant expands access to the Pediatric Therapy program supporting speech, physical, occupational and educational growth through inspiration and playful approaches backed by research.
• YMCA of Greater Richmond – Supporting the LEGO Builders program, which reached more than 5,000 summer campers and provides additional learning through play opportunities for children in the Woodman West (Henrico) and Greenleigh (Chesterfield) communities.
• James River Association – Funding supports field-based, interdisciplinary, play-based education programs, using the context of the James River to bring complex concepts to life and help all students learn and grow, no matter their background experience or knowledge.

Samuel and Harper’s story

One of the grant recipients, SOAR365, is a nonprofit organization that creates life-fulfilling opportunities for individuals with disabilities reaching more than 2,100 people with disabilities each year. Through their essential programs for participants from infants to seniors, including Pediatric Therapy, Adult Day Support and Summer Camp, SOAR365 brings an approach that combines learning with a creative and playful mindset.

“Thanks to the LEGO Group, SOAR365 has been able to respond to the growing need for Pediatric Therapy services in Central Virginia, increasing the number of children we serve to 1,200 – a 40% increase in just two years,” says John Walker, President & CEO, SOAR365.

Two brothers who attend SOAR365’s Summer Camp, Samuel and Harper White, both have autism. Summer Camp is one of the rare places where the boys can engage in outside activities – and participate fully – according to their mother, Cynthia White.

“Samuel and Harper benefit immensely from the individualized attention that allows them to engage in the wonderful activities Summer Camp is renowned for: swimming, horseback riding, fishing, arts and crafts, hiking, photography and so much more. The staff’s ability to cater to each boy’s needs and make them feel cherished truly sets Summer Camp apart,” Cynthia says.

“We appreciate every single person who has given any kind of money to the scholarship because it means a lot to my boys,” she adds. “We don’t take it for granted. We treasure it.”

Coming together through volunteering

So far this year, more than 165 LEGO Manufacturing Virginia colleagues have come together to support local communities, contributing nearly 900 hours to help children learn, grow and play.

Many of these events focused on delivering playful learning experiences through nonprofit partners. Others have included reading to students in local public schools and helping restore natural spaces along the James River.

“At the LEGO Group, we want to be a global force for the power of Learning through Play, and our colleagues play an important part of bringing that vision to life,” says Lauren.

“Every colleague has two working days per year to volunteer, contributing to more opportunities for children to learn, grow, and play.”

LEGO Manufacturing Virginia is a state-of-the-art facility in Chesterfield County slated to open in 2027. As construction continues, the LEGO Group is proud to support the work of these incredible organizations that are finding new ways to bring the transformative power of play to the builders of tomorrow.

Notes to editor

(*) LEGO® Play Well Study 2024: commissioned by the LEGO Group, carried out by Edelman DXI between 13.12.23 – 24.01.2024. Total sample size of 61,532 respondents, including 36,000 parents and 25,532 children aged 5-12 years old from 36 markets.

Images provided by SOAR365.

For more information, please contact [email protected]

About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.

The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words Leg Godt, which mean “Play Well”.

Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. Its products are now sold in more than 120 countries worldwide.

For more information: www.LEGO.com