Icon Of Child Play Replaced after 20 years

Monday 5 August, 2002.

Icon Of Child Play Replaced after 20 years

An icon of child play and development will disappear from retail shelves in New Zealand and the World over this month after a presence of more than 20 years.

But the familiar “brick” at the heart of the LEGO Duplo building and learning systems for pre-school children will remain and take on a new life as part of a more sophisticated range of child learning and discovery systems.

LEGO EXPLORE will supersede the iconic Duplo brand and expand on the play and learning experience through music, storytelling and theatre, dramatically extending the interaction children can achieve in play.

Described as a complete discovery system, LEGO EXPLORE comprises 4 “worlds” designed to stimulate a child’s development in a different way and different stages of development.

Each has been designed in partnership with leading child development experts, particularly MIT University Professors Edith Ackermann and Mitchell Resnick.

Professor Ackermann says that learning is intimately connected to play and that both learning and play involve creativity and imagination. She believes children learn best when engaged in the making of something personally meaningful and shareable – something that is able to be appreciated by others. This is the new direction for the LEGO Explore range.

Leading Australian child psychologist, Dr John Irvine says the LEGO products offer intellectual stimulation, problem solving, social communication, co-ordination and a wonderful sense of fun and mastery.

“It is obvious that the LEGO Company has put a great deal of time and effort into their research for LEGO Explore. Finally, parents can enter a toy store and find a range of products that contribute to their children’s development. This is very reassuring.”

LEGO New Zealand marketing officer, Vicki Bohlbro, says the Company’s mission in the pre-school area is to assist parents to help their children grow. “While the name Duplo is going, “Explore” promises to open up a whole new dimension to fun and learning in children’s play and take over the mantle of its predecessor as an icon in this area”.

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For Further Information log on to www.legoexplore.com

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