At EasyPeasy, we’re proud to be part of the Power of Play consortium, an award-winning initiative led by the LEGO Group and supported by the LEGO Foundation, designed to improve access to quality ‘Learning through Play’ opportunities for children across the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Today, we’re thrilled to release the first Power of Play Impact Report, showcasing how, together with partners Save the Children, Institute of Imagination, Young V&A, and Ambition, Aspire, Achieve, we’ve reached over 21,000 children, parents, teachers, and community members in just the first year of the programme.
What is the Power of Play?
The Power of Play is a multi-partner programme championing the role of play in children’s creative, cognitive, social, and emotional development, particularly for families facing poverty, limited access to safe play spaces, or with additional needs.
The programme draws on the expertise of each partner organisation to create a unified step change in harnessing the power of play to promote children’s wellbeing, essential skills such as creativity, confidence and communication, as well as future potential. It offers a blend of home, school, and community play opportunities for underserved children and their families with the aim to:
- Engage children in inclusive, play-based learning
- Empower caregivers with the tools and confidence to support learning through play at home
- Embed playful learning in schools and community hubs
The result? A locally-led, deeply embedded culture of playful learning that meets families where they are, whether it’s a park, in school, a local museum, or their own home.
Cross-sector impact at scale
From pop-up play labs and inclusive LEGO clubs, to immersive storytelling sessions at the Young V&A, the Power of Play programme has demonstrated what’s possible when businesses, educators, and communities work together. To date, we’ve reached:
- 14,621 children engaging in play-based activities
- 6,275 caregivers being supported across Tower Hamlets
- 86 schools participating in playful learning
- 6 local community organisations
Supporting parents and caregivers in the home
EasyPeasy’s role in the Power of Play programme is to help parents and caregivers feel confident, supported, and inspired to bring learning through play into their everyday routines. Over the past year:
- Around 400 families in Tower Hamlets have joined the EasyPeasy app-based parenting programme
- 81% of participating families come from disadvantaged backgrounds
- 82% now feel confident they can make a positive difference in their child’s life
- 81% better understand how to support their child’s personal, social and emotional growth
Through the Power of Play, we’ve also supported the creation of 12 local parent-led meet-up groups, bringing over 160 caregivers together to share playful ideas, strengthen peer networks, and build confidence as community changemakers.
“I like that it’s encouraging us to play with our children, encouraging learning through play. I love messing about, I love playing with my child… and it’s nice to help him develop at the same time.” – EasyPeasy caregiver
“What I really want to get out of this is to start creating a network of mums to help build stronger relationships with each other within the community, so we can have that network of support... so we can empower each other and lift each other up.” – EasyPeasy caregiver
What’s next?
We’re pleased that the Power of Play programme will continue to embed playful learning into local systems, build out community-rooted hubs, and expand peer-led caregiver support. EasyPeasy is excited to keep playing our part, helping families turn everyday moments into playful learning experiences.
More information for parents and caregivers
If you are a parent or carer of a child aged 0-5 in Tower Hamlets, you can get free premium access to the EasyPeasy app. Discover over 1000 tips and activity ideas personalised for you and your child, and transform everyday parenting moments into playful learning activities. Click here to find out more and register for the app.
As part of the Power of Play partnership, we are also offering funding for families in Tower Hamlets to create parent meetups, supporting parents and carers in the community to come together and share parenting tips, ideas, experiences, and play inspiration. Click here to find out more and register for a parent meetup.