LEGO® Middle East, together with Special Olympics UAE and MENA, Hosts a Young Athletes’ Inclusion and Play Program at OliOli®

Dubai; United Arab Emirates; gulftech: LEGO® Middle East’s collaboration with Special Olympics (SO) MENA, has resulted in an inclusive play program with SO UAE at OliOli®, Dubai’s First Experiential Play Museum. Special Olympics focuses on the growth and development of athletes; people with intellectual disabilities, starting with early childhood play programs. Through the one-of-a-kind event, children with and without intellectual disabilities and their parents and caregivers enjoyed a fun-filled day. Navigating their way through engaging activity stations and raising the benchmark of learning through free and guided play, the program emphasized on the importance of play in every child’s life. 

OliOli® brings families together through hands-on activities that inspire learning through play and give kids the space to expand their creativity, curiosity, and imagination. Adding amazing brick-built 3D models and various LEGO play zones to the existing OliOli® experiences, Special Olympics UAE young athletes were immersed in an exciting world of play and wonder. 

Ula Bieganska, Head of Marketing at LEGO Middle East & Africa, said: “We at The LEGO Group believe that LEGO play is for everyone, no matter the race, the gender, the language, or even the challenges they face. As a result, we are thrilled to offer a unique play experience to Special Olympics young athletes in the UAE to unleash their creativity and allow them to learn great many things through play.” 

LEGO play allows kids to learn soft skills that help shape the way they interact with others in various facets of life, including; teamwork, creative thinking, communication, imagination, and problem-solving skills. Moreover, LEGO play is a highly effective tool in developing social interactions for all children with intellectual disabilities, including autistic individuals and children dealing with anxiety, Asperger’s Syndrome, Depression, and different adjustment behaviors. 

“This collaboration with Special Olympics MENA means that more families, teachers, caregivers, and people from the community have the chance to learn and share the joy of inclusive play with all children, equally. Together with LEGO Middle East, we aim to overcome inequality through play and address the critical need of early childhood interventions for all individuals with intellectual disabilities.” – Ayman Abdel Wahab, Regional President, Special Olympics Middle East/ North Africa.

“The cutting-edge program with LEGO Middle East and OliOli® Museum takes an exemplary fresh approach on how Young Athletes can choose to interact with each other and learn, beyond traditional methods. A cornerstone of Special Olympics UAE’s mandate is to build more innovative ways to engage children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in experiential learning to contribute to the development of critical thinking, problem-solving skills and increase creativity and self-confidence driven by collaboration with peers and a sense of personal achievement.” – HE Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of Special Olympics UAE.

Asha Ramchandani, co-founder of OliOli® added: “We made OliOli® with love for families of all backgrounds to find joy through play, and we consider it a blessing for our venue to be a sanctuary for children of determination. We have seen that children’s playful experiences unveil their remarkable abilities in exploration, imagination, and creativity. The hands-on elements of play enforce the autonomy of the child through understanding their environments and contributing to their surroundings which builds their confidence in bringing change and development to their world.”