Coloured pieces are scattered across tables, with old and young participants sitting side by side. Some lean in closely, studying the small plastic bricks. Others begin building immediately, stacking red on yellow, blue on green. Conversation is sparse at first. Then laughter breaks out as towers wobble and hands reach across the table to steady them.
The gathering, held at Dusit Thani in Dubai on Thursday, is part of an initiative centred on connection ahead of Ramadan. Organised by doyourbit.xyz, led by Saira Gulamani, in collaboration with 4-get-me-not, a UAE social enterprise supporting seniors affected by memory-related conditions, the Six Bricks community workshop brings together both the young and the elderly for an afternoon of guided Lego play.
Gulamani says Ramadan is about generosity, kindness and building bridges across communities and ages. In a season when families are encouraged to slow down and reflect, she sees play as a practical way to strengthen bonds that can easily fray amid the pace of daily life.
Research suggests many families are already aware of that strain. The 2024 Lego Play Well Study found that 87 per cent of parents and 88 per cent of children wish they could play more together. More than nine in 10 parents surveyed said play helps build stronger family bonds, while 88 per cent believe it strengthens grandparent and grandchild relationships, and 90 per cent believe it supports mental well-being, memory and communication.
For Gulamani, the workshop is about turning those aspirations into something tangible. “When youth and seniors sit around the same table and build together, something powerful happens,” she says. “Skills are exchanged, stories are shared and families rediscover purpose through play.”
At the heart of the session is a deceptively simple concept. Each participant is given six colourful Lego Duplo bricks. That is all they use. The Six Bricks approach, which originated in South Africa and was tested across 25 schools, has grown into a global engagement tool used in schools, homes, hospitals and nursing homes. With just six 2x4 bricks of the same colour, there are more than 900 million possible combinations.
The number six is intentional. Gulamani explains that in a person’s peripheral vision, they can comfortably see six bricks side by side if their vision is 20/20. Limiting the materials encourages focus and reduces feelings of being overwhelmed. The colours include primary tones as well as warm and cool shades, creating enough variation to spark imagination without distraction.
The session unfolds in stages. Participants begin with simple tasks designed to build confidence. Only gradually does the difficulty increase, culminating in a collaborative bridge-building exercise. If the more complex challenges were introduced first, Gulamani says, some might feel disheartened. Instead, the structure mirrors the idea of building blocks leading towards a bigger picture.
For participants who are over 60 and living with memory-related conditions, the benefits extend beyond enjoyment. Gulamani says she has witnessed improvements in gross and fine motor skills, as well as moments of creative expression that surprise even family members. She recalls seeing people who had never handled a Lego piece before construct small houses. Sometimes they resemble homes once lived in, or perhaps imagined.
There are playful rivalries, too, as participants compare towers and debate whose structure stands tallest. “They become childlike,” Gulamani says, noting that later stages of life can bring a return to that openness. “So why not give them the toys children play with?”
For young people, the experience carries a different kind of resonance. Playing alongside the elderly can feel like building with their grandparents. Advice is offered. Techniques are demonstrated. In the exchange, each generation gains insight into the other. Words become secondary. “You do not need language when you are building,” Gulamani says. “The bricks themselves are the language.”
As towers rise and bridges link one side of the table to the other, the symbolism is clear. In six small bricks, families are reminded that meaningful connection does not always require elaborate plans. Sometimes it begins with sitting down together, picking up a piece and starting to build.
