Member Article

The LEGO Group and Koalaa Connect the Dots Between Prosthetics and Play

The LEGO Group and Koalaa – a UK-based company that provides affordable and accessible soft prosthetics – have joined forces to organise a one-of-a-kind event for children with limb differences.

To celebrate uniqueness and empower users to personalise their prosthetics, the LEGO Group welcomed members of the Koalaa Community to exclusively try out a new product: LEGO® DOTS Stitch-on Patch.

LEGO® DOTS Stitch-on Patch is one of the latest products in the new range, offering a 6x6 stud canvas for kids to decorate and customise with colourful tiles. The twist? The canvas is flexible and comes with pre-made holes for stitching. Now, children can attach their unique LEGO® DOTS creations to wearable items, such as clothing, bags and hats in a whole new way.

At the event, the children were encouraged to use the LEGO® DOTS Stitch-on Patch to express their unique individuality. With help, the children stitched the canvas design onto their Koalaa prosthetics, which, unlike traditional prosthetics, are made from fabric. This offered a new way to decorate, personalise and celebrate their prosthetic, with the children going on to create all kinds of designs.

Nate Macabuag, founder of Koalaa, said: “Getting to collaborate with the LEGO Group on this project was a dream come true! So many of the children we work with love playing with LEGO and this gave them a new and novel way to not only play with it, but to decorate and personalise their prosthetics, which is very special. Because our prosthetics are more like clothing, in that they are made from material so soft and lightweight, they are perfect for children to do what they do best – play, have fun and explore the world around them.”

When asked for their thoughts on the event, one parent answered: “I think it’s a really positive thing for them to do. She loves LEGO DOTS, she loves designing. Having a prosthetic with her own stamp on it is amazing and she can’t wait to show it off at school.”

As one of the leading toy companies in the world, the LEGO Group acknowledges that it is in a unique position to create a positive impact and foster change. By providing members of the Koalaa Community with a new way to decorate and celebrate their prosthetics through creative play, the LEGO Group is one step closer towards its ambition of increasing inclusivity, empathy and representation across play experiences and programmes.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Creative Leopard .