When was the last time you played just for the sake of it? No agenda. No end goal. Just play. For children, play isn’t just fun. It’s essential. And when it comes to creative, mindful play, LEGO bricks are little plastic superheroes.
As an artist and psychotherapist, I’ve seen the power of play in many imaginable colours, shapes, and emotions. Play allows children to express themselves in a way that doesn’t require words; many children and adults struggle to put emotions and feelings into words, so creative play is a wonderful way to combat this. It can help to build self-confidence, relieve stress, and even nurture empathy. And yes, it can include dragons, castles, rainbows, and rocket-powered flamingos made from LEGO bricks!
Why Play Matters (Spoiler alert: It’s Not Just for Kids)
Play is how children explore the world, develop emotional intelligence, and strengthen their imagination muscles. But here’s a secret: adults need to play, too. It helps regulate our nervous systems, reduce anxiety, and reconnect us with joy. I personally have the pleasure of teaching children and adults how to ‘play’ with creativity, and it’s amazing to see the shift right before my eyes.
Through play, children can learn how to manage feelings, solve problems, and bounce back when things don’t go to plan (like when their LEGO tower topples for the sixth time). These tiny moments build big resilience.
The Therapeutic Magic of LEGO Play
LEGO play has been used in therapy and education for years—and for good reason. It’s tactile, colourful, and full of possibilities. It naturally invites storytelling, imagination, and experimentation.
Whether a child is building a dream playground or recreating a stormy sea, they’re externalising inner thoughts in a safe, symbolic way. In Art therapy, I sometimes introduce LEGO play to help children express complex feelings. Building with LEGO bricks can feel calming, empowering, and even meditative, even more so for neurodiverse children or those recovering from trauma.
And adults? LEGO play can bring us back into our bodies, quiet the busy brain, and offer a rare sense of flow. Plus, who doesn’t want to say, “I built that!”?
Art Meets LEGO Play: Try This Fun, Mindful Building Idea
Here’s a creative twist you can try at home.
LEGO Mandala Building!
Use only circular LEGO plates or bricks in a colour palette that feels soothing or expressive. Build outwards from the centre in repeating patterns or shapes, just like a mandala. This kind of mindful, repetitive play is wonderful for calming the mind and bringing focus.
Want to go deeper? Ask your child to name their mandala and discuss the feelings or stories behind the colours and shapes. It’s a sneaky, playful way to engage emotional expression and self-awareness; plus, when sharing a fun, playful experience with caregivers, it provides a foundation of trust, shared interest and memory-making.
Wrapping Up with a Brick Hug
Whether you’re five or fifty, play helps us grow, heal, and connect. So let’s give ourselves permission to play—freely, messily, joyfully. Let’s build rocket ships and rainbow snakes, tell wild stories with bricks, and remember that every tower toppled is just another opportunity to start again.
Because in a world that asks so much of us, sometimes what we really need… is a big pile of LEGO bricks and a little space to play.
Keep Creating!
– Written by Kerry Evitts
Big Art Comp LEGO Masters edition
Calling all LEGO Masters in the making!
Build your ultimate Before/After School Care room or playground using LEGO bricks. Think BIG. Think BOLD. Think BEYOND reality! What would the coolest room or playground ever look like?
As always, we’re looking for originality, so use LEGO bricks to bring your ideas to life!
Design it, build it, snap a photo and enter your masterpiece for the chance to win awesome prizes. Show us what you’ve got, LEGO Masters!
Kerry Evitts
Kerry is one of our key partners undertaking the judging of our Big Art Comp! Kerry is a British-born, Melbourne-based painter, psychotherapist and mum of three. She has a vibrant art studio in Melbourne where you’ll find her running group art activities to being up on a ladder painting murals!
As we celebrate 30 years of Camp Australia, we invite you to join us in looking back at our journey and imagining the future through the eyes of our young artists in the Big Art Comp.
