How LEGO Serious Play Workshops Unlock Creativity

Play-based learning for businesses helps employees reconnect with creativity.

In boardrooms and Zoom meetings around the world, teams are struggling with the same challenges: communication breakdowns, creative fatigue, and strategic misalignment. Employees are craving connection, purpose, and a little fun. Leaders are searching for new ways to inspire innovation and collaboration in a workplace that feels increasingly disconnected.

So, what if the secret to unlocking fresh ideas and stronger teams wasn’t another productivity app or PowerPoint presentation—but play?

That’s the philosophy behind the LEGO® Serious Play® method, a proven, hands-on approach to problem-solving and collaboration that’s transforming how companies think, communicate, and strategize.

And yes, it involves LEGO® bricks!

The Power of Play for Businesses: How LEGO Serious Play Workshops Unlock Creativity, Teamwork, and Strategy

As a certified LEGO Serious Play facilitator, I’ve watched executives, educators, and entrepreneurs discover new insights simply by picking up colorful bricks and letting their hands lead their thinking. Play may seem unconventional in a corporate setting, but the results are undeniable. I’ve seen first hand how innovation, clarity, and connection flourish when people are given permission to think outside of the box. Play-based learning for businesses helps employees reconnect with creativity, which leads to a more productive work environment.

Let’s dive into how LEGO Serious Play helps teams build trust, think creatively, and plan strategically, brick by brick.

Why Play Matters in the Workplace

Play is often dismissed as childish, something we outgrow once we start collecting business cards. But science tells a different story. Corporate creativity workshops like LEGO Serious Play open the door to innovation in a way general meetings simply can’t.

Studies from Harvard Business Review, Stanford University, and LEGO® Education all show that play enhances creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. When we play, our brains enter a state of flow, which is a space where new ideas connect effortlessly, and barriers between departments or job titles fade away. When this happens, true teamwork builds, ideas are formed, and business growth takes off.

In a world dominated by meetings and metrics, play reawakens curiosity. It encourages experimentation. It creates psychological safety, something every great team needs to thrive.

Play isn’t the opposite of work. It’s the catalyst that makes work more meaningful, collaborative, and human.

When I get asked to bring LEGO Serious Play into an organization for a workshop or an event, the activities and learning that takes place is something memorable that no one will soon forget. Employees and executives walk into our time together with eye rolls over having to “play” with bricks, but then imagination takes over, hands start building, and the room goes from the silent concentration of stacking bricks together to laughter and comradery.

What Is LEGO Serious Play?

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is a communication and problem solving technique used in businesses, organizations, classrooms, and teams.

Through these customized LEGO Serious Play team building activities, corporate workshops, and event experiences, participants will use LEGO bricks to learn and plan through building with creativity and their hands together.

Developed by the LEGO Group in collaboration with business and psychology experts, LEGO Serious Play is a facilitated thinking, communication, and problem-solving technique. It’s based on the concept of “hands-on, minds-on learning,” the idea that when we use our hands to build, we actually access deeper parts of our brain that influence creativity and insight.

Here’s how it works: participants are guided through a series of building challenges using LEGO bricks. Each person builds models that represent ideas, experiences, or solutions related to a theme or a prompt given by a facilitator—all surrounding topics such as, company values, leadership vision, or team goals.

Then, each participant explains their model to the group, turning abstract thoughts into concrete stories they built with their own hands. Through these stories, hidden assumptions surface, new ideas emerge, and meaningful dialogue happens naturally.

The result? Teams gain clarity, alignment, and a shared vision that’s far more powerful than anything drawn on a whiteboard. It’s the ultimate a communication tool to help teams grow, learn, and plan for the future.

Why LEGO Serious Play Works

Traditional meetings often favor the loudest voices in the room. Power dynamics and job titles can silence creative ideas before they even surface. Raise your hand if you’ve been there? I definitely have! However, in a LEGO Serious Play session, everyone participates equally. 100% involvement!

LEGO Serious Play sessions also serve as powerful team communication workshops. When people build with LEGO bricks, they bypass overthinking and self-editing their thoughts. Instead, they tap into visual and kinesthetic learning. This allows for deeper thinking, stronger connections, and more innovative solutions.

Here are just a few reasons why the method is so effective:

It levels the playing field: Everyone has the same materials and the same opportunity to contribute. Hierarchies fade, and authentic communication takes center stage.
It sparks creativity: Building with your hands engages the brain differently, leading to ideas that might not emerge through conversation alone.
It fosters storytelling: Every model tells a story, and storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for business clarity and connection.
It encourages collaboration: Participants share, listen, reflect, and build on each other’s ideas—literally.
It creates psychological safety: Play removes fear of judgment. People are more willing to share bold ideas when they’re having fun.
The results from these LEGO Serious Play sessions speak for themselves. After each one of my workshops or large group events, my team and I compile a report outlining the ideas and plan that the group came up with during our time together. The organizer of the event now has a tool to use moving forward to continue collaboration and growth.

The Power of Play in Team Building

One of the biggest benefits of LEGO Serious Play is how it transforms teams. Whether you’re managing a small department or leading a large organization, fostering connection and trust is essential, but not always easy.

Team-building activities often get a bad rap. Employees groan at the idea of another icebreaker or trust fall. But when you hand adults a pile of LEGO bricks and a meaningful challenge—something shifts. Laughter fills the room, guards drop, and genuine communication begins.

Through shared building experiences, colleagues begin to see each other differently—not just as coworkers, but as creative thinkers with unique perspectives.

Employees most likely won’t remember what a speaker said during a lecture, but they will remember what they built and the reactions of their co-workers. These workshops are memorable and invite much more insight than other team-building activities or event entertainment or speakers.

In a LEGO Serious Play team-building workshop, I often use prompts like:

“Build what success looks like for your team.”
“Create a model that represents your biggest challenge right now.”
“Build a bridge between your current state and your ideal future.”

When participants explain their builds, insights emerge organically. Suddenly, hidden frustrations, unspoken ideas, and shared values come to light. Teams leave not just with stronger connections, but with a renewed sense of alignment and purpose.

How LEGO Serious Play Enhances Strategic Planning

Strategic planning can feel overwhelming—long discussions, endless notes, and sometimes, very little clarity. The LEGO Serious Play method makes strategy visual, collaborative, and surprisingly energizing.

Imagine your leadership team sitting around a table, each building their version of the company’s future. One person builds a towering structure representing growth. Another builds a bridge symbolizing collaboration. Someone else builds a wall to represent current barriers.

Individually, each model is powerful. Together, they create a shared map, a tangible representation of your organization’s direction.

From there, the group literally “builds” the strategy: combining ideas, removing obstacles, and creating a clear roadmap forward.

This process engages every participant and ensures buy-in from the start because everyone has contributed to building the vision, literally and figuratively.

Play as a Tool for Innovation and Problem Solving

Innovation often requires breaking out of linear thinking, and LEGO Serious Play helps teams do exactly that.

When people build, they shift from talking about problems to visualizing them—and then reimagining solutions. This approach is especially effective for organizations facing change, rapid growth, or new market challenges.

Through metaphor and storytelling, complex ideas become clear. The hands lead the mind to discover patterns and insights that traditional brainstorming can’t access.

For example, in one recent workshop I facilitated, a team was struggling with communication breakdowns between several departments. The employees built models that revealed how silos were unintentionally forming in their organization. By physically connecting their models to represent collaboration, they found a new way forward, one they could see, touch, and feel. The manager who hired me hadn’t been able to put a finger on the issue, but after our workshop, he had the answer and a path forward.

That’s the magic of play. It turns abstract problems into tangible possibilities.

Building Better Leaders Through Play

Leadership is about more than strategy—it’s about connection, vision, and empathy. LEGO Serious Play helps leaders develop these skills in a hands-on, reflective way.

When leaders participate in workshops, they gain insights into how their team thinks, what motivates them, and what challenges they face. The process also helps leaders reflect on their own strengths and blind spots.

Leadership-focused workshops often explore questions like:

“What does authentic leadership look like to you?”
“What are you building as a leader, and how does it impact your team?”
“How can you remove barriers to growth within your organization?”

By transforming abstract concepts into physical builds, leaders walk away with clarity—and often, a renewed sense of purpose.

One of my favorite events to lead is one full of leaders in a company. They gather to get away from their desks and out of their elements to think with their hands. These groups walk away with more confidence in how to manage their teams and fresh ideas on how to lift up their employees. Refreshers like these are invaluable.

Why Businesses Need Play Now More Than Ever

Modern workplaces are facing unprecedented levels of burnout, disengagement, and change. The rise of hybrid work, automation, forced downsizing, and constant digital noise has left many teams feeling disconnected from their creativity and from each other.

Play is the antidote.

LEGO Serious Play reintroduces curiosity, connection, and collaboration into the workplace. It reminds people that work can be meaningful and joyful at the same time.

In fact, organizations that embrace play often see measurable improvements in:

Employee engagement and retention
Creative problem-solving
Communication and collaboration
Innovation and adaptability

Companies like Google, Deloitte, and NASA have all used LEGO Serious Play to spark innovation and strengthen culture. But it’s not just for big corporations—small businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions can all benefit from this creative approach.

What a LEGO Serious Play Workshop Looks Like

Every workshop I facilitate is custom-designed based on your team’s goals. Some sessions focus on team connection, others on strategy or innovation.

Sessions run from one hour up to four hours for a half day session or six hours for a full day session. It all depends on the scope of what you hope to accomplish. I have also worked with groups as small as 5-6 people and as big as 150+. Small groups or large events all lead to fun, creativity, and growth opportunities for all involved.

A typical workshop includes:

Warm-Up Builds: Participants get comfortable using LEGO bricks to express ideas.
Individual Builds: Each person creates models that represent their experiences, ideas, or challenges.
Sharing and Storytelling: Participants explain their builds, sparking reflection and dialogue.
Collaborative Builds: Teams combine models to co-create shared visions or solutions.
Debrief and Action Planning: Together, we identify themes, insights, and next steps to carry forward.

By the end, participants don’t just leave with new ideas—they leave with a shared understanding and renewed enthusiasm for the work ahead.

The ROI of Play

While the LEGO Serious Play method may look playful, it delivers serious business results. Organizations that invest in play-based facilitation often report:

Improved collaboration and morale
Faster decision-making
Greater innovation and adaptability
Stronger alignment on goals and vision
Increased trust among team members

In short, when you give people permission to play, you give them permission to think differently, and that’s where growth begins.

Build Your Team’s Next Great Idea — One Brick at a Time

Play has the power to transform not just how we work, but how we connect, lead, and innovate.

When teams step away from their screens, pick up LEGO bricks, and start building together, they rediscover what makes them great. They see problems from new angles. They rebuild trust. They design their next chapter with creativity and confidence.

If your organization is ready to spark collaboration, boost innovation, or design a new strategy, it’s time to bring the power of play with LEGO Serious Play to your workplace, company conference, or special event.

As a certified LEGO Serious Play facilitator, I help teams of all sizes, from corporate groups to nonprofits, use play to unlock potential and build stronger, more creative businesses.

👉 Learn more about my corporate LEGO Serious Play workshops at Second Act Success, and let’s build your next big idea—together, one brick at a time.

Contact Shannon Russell to plan your event at info@secondactsuccess.co.

Learn more at https://secondactsuccess.co/legoseriousplay.

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