With events taking place from Dec. 3 to 16, the 12 Days of Play brings all facets of Mattel — employee volunteers, philanthropic funds and toys from brands such as Barbie®, Hot Wheels® and Fisher Price® — together with local schools, community organizations and charities that serve children in need to create magical play experiences.

"Play is at the very core of development and learning, yet around the world too many children do not have access to play," said Deidre Lind, executive director of philanthropic programs at Mattel. "The uniqueness of 12 Days of Play is that it brings all Mattel resources together at one time to make an incredible positive social impact. This new mindset is about inspiring people to think beyond the framework of individual giving. Last year was a huge success and we are excited to extend beyond Los Angeles to touch the lives in children all over the world."

In Los Angeles, some of the most underserved kids can look forward to receiving 20,000 toys and 190 tons of snow at seven different Winter Wonderland events during Mattel's 12 Days of Play. These events bring a snow day to sunny LA's inner city children with snow falling every 15 minutes during the events. Activities include sledding, building snowmen and making snow angels, as well as Barbie dress-up stations, Hot Wheels racing tracks, music, food and much more.

The Mattel 12 Days of Play Winter Wonderlands are taking place at schools and organizations in Los Angeles County, including:

• Dec. 7: LA SCORES/Palms Elementary in Palms, Calif.
• Dec. 9: 112th Street Elementary in Watts, Calif.
• Dec. 12: Washington Elementary in Hawthorne, Calif.
• Dec. 13: Figueroa Elementary in Westmont, Calif.
• Dec. 14: 10^th Street Elementary in Los Angeles, Calif.
• Dec. 15: LA's BEST (at Mattel's El Segundo headquarters)
• Dec. 16: Grape Street Elementary in Watts, Calif.

In addition to the Winter Wonderlands, Mattel's 12 Days of Play volunteer activities include gift wrapping parties where Mattel employees wrap toys for donation ensuring every child has an opportunity to experience the joy of opening a gift. Mattel volunteers also volunteer at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, participate in a tree lighting ceremony at El Segundo City Hall, and celebrate with kids at the Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and much more -- all with the goal to make a meaningful difference this holiday season.

Mattel's employee volunteers set the bar in 2010 during the Mattel 12 Days of Play with participation rates at more than 90 percent at El Segundo headquarters alone. This year, the Mattel employee volunteers (known as the Mattel PLAYers) aim to have 100 percent participation.

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