The LEGO Foundation Hosts IDEA Conference April 8-10, 2014: Re-Defining Play and Re-Imagining Learning

BILLUND, Denmark, April 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's leading voices in the fields of play and learning will gather in Billund, Denmark on April 8-10, for the 8^th annual LEGO Foundation IDEA Conference themed "Re-defining play, re-imagining learning" to  shine a light on the transformative power of play in learning. Driven by the LEGO Foundation's focus to ensure the value of play is understood, embraced and acted upon, this year's conference will unveil new insights about the power of play and provide a stage for leading academics, authors, researchers and innovators to discuss, debate, and co-create an actionable agenda to change the way the world learns.

"Play is one of the most effective ways in which we learn, and this truth anchors the LEGO® Idea. Play fosters creativity, builds critical thinking, strengthens social skills and empathy, sparks intellectual curiosity, and facilitates learning by fueling intrinsic motivation," said LEGO Foundation CEO, Dr. Randa Grob-Zakhary.  "The 2014 LEGO Foundation IDEA Conference is designed to bring together some of the world's brightest minds to inspire ways to make quality play a priority in homes, classrooms, workplaces and communities. Through play, we can provide children the opportunities and tools to enhance learning abilities that last a lifetime, and this year's conference will provide a platform to turn ideas into action."

Co-moderated by Joi Ito, Director of MIT's Media Lab, the two-day event will highlight an agenda where play and learning are central themes. Tony Wagner, Innovation Education Fellow, Technology & Entrepreneurship at Harvard University, will discuss how parents, educators and communities can turn play into purpose;  David Whitebread, University Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge in Psychology of Education, will host a workshop about cultural views on play and concrete skills needed for development; Jack Shonkoff, Director, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, will offer ways to translate the science of play into business; Peter Gray, Research Professor at Boston College and author of "Free to Learn", will provide insights into the evolution of play and human instincts; and Deborah Leong, Director & Co-Founder of "Tools of the Mind", will explore the links between play and self-regulation, amongst many others.

Guests are invited to develop actionable models for play-based learning, debate and share new knowledge and research about the future of learning, and become part of a global collective aimed at elevating the critical role of play in everyday lives.

The 2014 LEGO Foundation IDEA Conference program kicks off April 9^th at 9:00am CET/3:00am EDT and can be joined live via stream at theideaconference.com/#/live-stream. Follow the discussion on Twitter at @LEGOFoundation #IdeaConf14 and on LinkedIn. A full list of speakers and agenda can be found here.

About the LEGO Foundation

The LEGO Foundation shares the mission of the LEGO Group: to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. The Foundation is dedicated to build a future where learning through play empowers children to become creative, engaged, lifelong learners. Its work is about re-defining play and re-imagining learning. In collaboration with thought leaders, influencers, educators and parents, the LEGO Foundation aims to equip, inspire and activate champions for play. www.LEGOFoundation.com