Since 1949, Legos have been igniting the imagination of children and adults. Based in Billund, Denmark, The Lego Group is one of the largest companies in Europe and the world’s largest toy company based on sales. The company makes approximately 36 billion Lego bricks each year. These bricks and kits can be found in nearly 1,000 Lego stores, as well as countless other retailers. Legos have been featured in television shows, films, and magazines. They sponsor competitions and expos, and there are 8 Legoland amusement parks around the world.

The key to Lego’s success is the simplicity of its design. The bricks and kits are designed so that they can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age or ability. With an estimated 36,000 different Lego kits having been made over the decades, there is a kit to fit anyone’s interests, whether in animals, architecture, science, history, or popular culture.

With the motto, “only the best is good enough,” The Lego Group has incorporated trends that influence the future, encouraging children to learn and play in ways that shape their future. In 2018, The Lego Group created the 3-in-1 Drone Explorer Kit, a 109-piece building kit that allows users to build an operable drone, which can then be converted into a propeller plane or swamp boat. Since then, The Lego Group has featured drone-themed designs in many of their kits.

The Lego Group is committed to bringing to life kits that inspire the dreams of children. As stated in a video posted on Lego’s YouTube channel on May 24, 2024, “After global research revealed that 86 percent of kids are interested in finding new planets, stars, and galaxies, the LEGO Group asked children across the world to share their visions of how they would like to explore the cosmos. The result was truly incredible, and with the help of Associate Master Builder at the LEGO House, Didac Perez Soriano, a selection of these spacecraft were reimagined in LEGO bricks.”

6 of these children were then invited to an event where they enjoyed space-themed food, Legos, and met with Astronaut Kellie Gerardi. The event concluded with a spectacular drone show over New York City. What better way could there be to celebrate science, technology, space exploration, and children’s imagination than with a custom drone show?

The drone show was unique because of the images the drones created. Titled “UPO: Unidentified Playing Objects,” a play on the term UFO (Unidentified Flying Object), the UPOs depicted by the drones were the “Funstellation” designs submitted by the 6 children. According to the YouTube video description, “The show included a space-bed UPO powered by butterfly wings, complete with a snack drawer for long journeys, a turtle spaceship that walks on the moon, a dog spaceship with 360 windows to see all that space has to offer, and a dinosaur ship with a jetpack, among others.”

The video shows the 6 children watching the drone show in awe as they hold their Funstellations. Ten-year-old Lotty Ingle from Leeds, UK, was the creative mind behind the butterfly-wing spacecraft with a snack drawer. When she found out her design had been chosen, she was beyond excited. “I kept saying to my mum ‘Really? No, but really Mum,'” Lotty said. “I like to be eco-friendly and didn’t want to use any electricity, so I thought butterfly wings would be a good idea. I would love to travel to all the planets that no one has discovered yet and see if there is life there, and if they are just like us. I would really like them to try all my favourite snacks that I am bringing with me.”

Debra Elmegreen, President of the International Astronomical Union, who collaborated with The Lego Group for this event, said, “We are excited to tap into the unbridled creativity of children through this collaboration by encouraging them to look up at the night sky and think about the stars. The next generation of scientists and space explorers will shape how we understand and interact with the Universe. With this project, we hope to give them a head start.” Encouraging children to reimagine how they can shape the future and proving it is possible with the use of drones is just one of the many reasons why Legos have had an unparalleled impact for nearly 80 years.

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