Leaving the Netherlands and heading to Denmark, there was no real debate about where our first stop needed to be.

Traveling with a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old, our destination was obvious: Legoland — and not just any Legoland, but the original one, in Billund, Denmark.

And what a place it is.  Directly across the street stands the factory where every LEGO brick is born — over 6 billion bricks a year, created to meet the seemingly insatiable demand from around the world.

 

Immersed in a World of LEGO

We stayed at the Legoland Hotel, and from the moment we walked through the door, the kids were spellbound.

Every wall was alive with bright murals of LEGO characters and scenes.  Our family room even had double-decker bunk beds, tucked into their own little adventure zone within the room.  What more could a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old want?

As hotel guests, we were allowed into the Legoland park half an hour earlier than the general public — a welcome bonus, given that after Copenhagen, Legoland is the most visited place in Denmark year after year.

And once inside?

We simply rode and explored.  From boats gliding on winding waterways to jeeps racing through jungle missions, from trains circling the park to rides I can hardly describe — the kids loved every minute.

It had the unmistakable energy of a classic amusement park — except here, everything seemed to be made out of LEGO.

• Statues

• Animals

• Castles

Even the garbage cans looked like giant LEGO bricks.

A Company That Built More Than a Toy

But Legoland is more than just rides and colorful displays.  It shines a light on a company that, over nearly a century, has built something truly remarkable.

Privately founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, LEGO remains family-owned to this day.  Through world wars, economic downturns, and waves of technological change, LEGO has not only survived — it has thrived.

Today, LEGO generates over $10 billion USD in annual revenue, reaching millions of children (and adults) across the world.  And there are no speed bumps in sight.

I find myself wondering:
How does a company based on one simple idea — a plastic brick — manage to stay relevant, beloved, and growing for so long?

Part of the answer, I think, is that LEGO has always seen itself as more than a toy company.

 

Learning Through Play: LEGO’s Bigger Mission

Through initiatives like LEGO Education, LEGO has expanded its impact beyond playrooms into classrooms around the world.

They offer hands-on kits that teach engineering, coding, critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving — all while preserving the spirit of imaginative play.

They understand that the same skills that build a castle out of bricks can also build a future:

• Planning
• Experimenting
• Adapting
• Persevering

This philosophy isn’t just good business.  It’s good for the world.

And it gets me thinking:
At the Edge Foundation, we work every day to help young people strengthen their executive function skills — planning, organization, time management, flexible thinking, persistence — skills essential for success in school, career, and life.

Maybe there’s a synergy here.  Maybe there’s an opportunity to connect playful, hands-on learning with the structured coaching and support we provide.

Maybe — just maybe — bricks and coaching could build something even stronger together.

A Small (Brick-Sized) Confession

Of course, my main focus on this trip has been my grandchildren — and doing everything I can to make them happy.

But somewhere between the boat rides, the LEGO castles, and the jungle adventures, I realized something important — there’s a whole world of grown-ups who love LEGO too.

They even have a name: AFOLs — Adult Fans of LEGO.  (And yes, there are millions of them around the world.)

I suppose I’ll have to admit it — after this trip, I am definitely one of them.

Maybe LEGO isn’t just for 6-year-olds and 3-year-olds after all.
Maybe it’s for all of us — no matter how many years we’ve stacked up.