LEGO BUILDS FOUNDATIONS IN CHINA CLASSROOMS

BEIJING / SHANGHAI : DANISH TOYMAKER Lego is hoping to build a following with Chinese parents by promoting its place in the classroom as well as the toy-box.

The firm, famous for its brightly colored building blocks, is working with local education departments, state schools and the private education providers -

To get kids playing with Lego as a way to boost motor skills, creativity and attention spans.

The educational push in China goes beyond what LEGO does in other markets, in part a nod to the country's disciplined focus on learning but also a reflection of how the market is -

Booming in importance as growth in the United States and Europe slows.

It also taps into the desires of Chinese Parents to give their children a competitive edge - even at a young age.

Deng Xianyu, 48, has been buying her 8-year old son Lego blocks since he was 2 and now sends him to Lego classes every weekend.

She said she likes that the student learn specific skills such as computing and science as they play:

''If it was just putting blocks together, I don't think that would be totally necessary,'' said Deng Xianyu, 48. ''But I think it is great that they do the coding as part of the classes.''

The focus on learning, in a market notorious for its rigid exam-orientated education system and piles of homework, could help Lego in China as business elsewhere softens.

[Agencies]