Lego has unveiled Smart Bricks - tech-filled versions of its small building blocks - which it says will bring sets to life with sound, light, and reaction to movement. However, the new product range has received mixed reactions from play experts, who say it risks undermining what makes Lego distinct for children in an increasingly digital world. Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas, the Danish toymaker's Smart Play system introduces new electronic components to the classic plastic blocks.
Lego claims its new tech-enabled products, launching in March with a new Star Wars set, are its 'most revolutionary innovation' in nearly 50 years. But Josh Golin, executive director of children's wellbeing group Fairplay, believes Smart Bricks could undermine what was once great about Legos - harnessing children's own imagination during play. 'As anyone who has ever watched a child play with old-school Legos knows, children's Lego creations already do move and make noises through the power of children's imaginations,' he told the BBC.
Andrew Manches, professor of children and technology at the University of Edinburgh, echoed these sentiments, highlighting that the true value of Lego lies in the freedom to create, re-create, and adapt simple blocks into endless stories powered by children's imagination. However, he acknowledged that Lego's effort to integrate physical and digital play holds promise.
Julia Goldin, the company’s chief product and marketing officer, emphasized their view of digital technology as an opportunity rather than a threat, noting how the smart range seamlessly weaves interactivity into physical products. The Smart Bricks can sense motion, position, and distance, allowing models to respond in various ways during play. Measuring 2x4, the brick itself contains sensors, lights, a small sound synthesizer, an accelerometer, and a custom-made silicon chip enabling it to detect movement and react to it.
Complementing the Smart Bricks are Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags tiles, which possess digital identifiers triggering different sounds or reactions when they interact. For instance, a Lego birthday cake recognized when its 'candles' were blown out, sounding a cheer and happy birthday song during a demonstration.
Despite the excitement around these innovations, concerns about security and privacy of smart toys are raised, with emphasis on the importance of understanding how these designs influence children's everyday lives. This advancement marks Lego's ongoing interest in appealing to an increasingly online audience, following years of releasing augmented reality apps and collaborating with video game developers. According to Lego's chief executive Niels B. Christiansen, this focus on digital technology is viewed as a strategic area for the company's future.
Lego claims its new tech-enabled products, launching in March with a new Star Wars set, are its 'most revolutionary innovation' in nearly 50 years. But Josh Golin, executive director of children's wellbeing group Fairplay, believes Smart Bricks could undermine what was once great about Legos - harnessing children's own imagination during play. 'As anyone who has ever watched a child play with old-school Legos knows, children's Lego creations already do move and make noises through the power of children's imaginations,' he told the BBC.
Andrew Manches, professor of children and technology at the University of Edinburgh, echoed these sentiments, highlighting that the true value of Lego lies in the freedom to create, re-create, and adapt simple blocks into endless stories powered by children's imagination. However, he acknowledged that Lego's effort to integrate physical and digital play holds promise.
Julia Goldin, the company’s chief product and marketing officer, emphasized their view of digital technology as an opportunity rather than a threat, noting how the smart range seamlessly weaves interactivity into physical products. The Smart Bricks can sense motion, position, and distance, allowing models to respond in various ways during play. Measuring 2x4, the brick itself contains sensors, lights, a small sound synthesizer, an accelerometer, and a custom-made silicon chip enabling it to detect movement and react to it.
Complementing the Smart Bricks are Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags tiles, which possess digital identifiers triggering different sounds or reactions when they interact. For instance, a Lego birthday cake recognized when its 'candles' were blown out, sounding a cheer and happy birthday song during a demonstration.
Despite the excitement around these innovations, concerns about security and privacy of smart toys are raised, with emphasis on the importance of understanding how these designs influence children's everyday lives. This advancement marks Lego's ongoing interest in appealing to an increasingly online audience, following years of releasing augmented reality apps and collaborating with video game developers. According to Lego's chief executive Niels B. Christiansen, this focus on digital technology is viewed as a strategic area for the company's future.
