100 balloons covered the entrance to the new LEGO DUPLO and Peppa Pig Playground at the original LEGOLAND theme park in Billund on Tuesday, where children and families had gathered to be the very first to set foot in the new 1,500 square-metre attraction.
“At the opening you had to count down from 10 and then the balloons were flying!” said five-year-old Irish-Danish Olivia Simonsen.
The balloons were released to the sound of loud gasps from kids and parents, who had turned out in force for the event.
Peppa Pig has become a global phenomenon among families with 3-6 year old children. The British preschool animated television series that has been airing for 20 years, across 10 seasons in over 180 territories, as of 2024.
The series follows Peppa Pig, a cheeky piglet who lives with her family – younger brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig – as well as her diverse community of friends.
Peppa Pig encourages kids to socialise together and explore the world around them by playfully depicting early childhood experiences – from playing with water and jumping in muddy puddles to social relationships and small happenings in the family, like a loud fart from an adult.
Understanding the youngest
At LEGOLAND Billund, the Peppa Pig puppet show has been praised for its positive influence on children’s social and emotional development.
It takes place on a stage in front of a digital background that changes during the show.
“It has a lot of really nice movement, and kids can follow along,” explains Laurie Foker, Puppet show Director at LEGOLAND Resorts.
“Hm..It is really interesting,” said four-year-old Siddhant Shastri from India, born in Denmark.
Five-year-old Irish/Danish Olivia Simonsen said: “I really like the colour red and her dress is red. I like the playground and I tried everything here at the playground. And I like the puppet show.”
Navya Mehta, aged five, from India/Denmark said: “It is funny when he can’t find his teeth, because they are in his pockets or can´t find his glasses, because he is sitting on them.”
On Tuesday, the popularity of the playground and show among the children was clear.
Peppa Pig has plenty of absorbing content for young children across engaging stories and charming characters.
Parent and local teacher Jennifer Simonsen explained: “it’s very simple, it’s not so complicated. They’re not going on amazing big adventures – these are everyday things that young kids recognize. It’s their world that Peppa Pig and her family are in.”
Education through play
LEGO was invented in Billund in 1932 and its credo is education through play. This has become an important part of culture in Denmark and indeed in any country where LEGO is popular.
“There’s an element of this education in both Peppa Pig and in LEGO DUPLO bricks. And so it’s about making sure that we are also giving kids not just fun, but also this learning opportunity,” says Michaela Edgerley Šťovíček, Head of LEGO DUPLO.
Lego Duplo boxes with one-to-one elements from Peppa Pig´s world that the children can explore further will be available later this year.
LEGOLAND opened in 1968 with 625,000 guests the first year. Now, 50 years later, there are eight LEGOLAND parks around the world, which attract more than 15 million total guests each year.
