It’s been a momentous week in the quick-moving, mass-market world of toy production.
Lately, more and more kids and parents have been looking over the selection of available toys, and finding the options wanting. Consumers are increasingly looking for more diverse toys that are as representative as the kids who play with them.
Now, a few of the biggest toy producers around are starting to sit up and take notice.
Mattel, which produces Barbie, made waves earlier this week by releasing a new selection of their signature dolls, with a wide range of body types. The change was widely celebrated by parents and kids alike.
Now, hot on Mattel’s heels, Lego also announced this week that they, too, would be introducing a new, body-positive toy.
Slated for release this summer, the Scandinavian company will begin production of a “minifigure” — their name for Lego’s small, posable action figures — that uses a wheelchair.
While the company has released a figure in a wheelchair before, this will be the first time the toy will be depicted as a cool young person wearing a fashionable beanie and hoodie sweatshirt.
Parents around the world have been clamoring for change for years, largely through groups like Toy Like Me, which works to actively push toymakers to create more inclusive toys — particularly ones that embrace kids who are differently abled.
A group called Wheels4lego thas been working tirelessly to achieve this goal, campaigning with the argument that “Lego is fantastic. There are 86 lego bricks for every person in the world. But have you ever seen a lego wheelchair?”
For years, enthusiasts who love the build-it-yourself brick toys have felt that the company would be even better with a minifigure in a wheelchair.
Until now, determined and creative souls have had to strike out on their own, building their own differently abled minifigures…
But now, their efforts have finally paid off! The new minifigure will be released this summer as part of the next edition of the “City” collection.
Together, these groups have made a massive difference, encouraging the company to release a toy that will be a major confidence booster for kids who feel isolated for being different by toys that aren’t inclusive.
This is an amazing change for kids everywhere, and we can only hope that even more companies will follow suit!
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