Often when thinking back to when I was younger, I like to reminisce about some of the things I used to like to do. I can remember playing touch football or soccer on the elementary school fields and trying to get as high in the air as possible with a swing. I remember the first books that really got me into reading and all the friends I met, many of whom I still know today. While some of these things I’ve outgrown, such as playground games, my love for books and writing, as well as meeting new people, continues to grow every day. Another big part of my younger years is still with me as well, and that is LEGO.
Originally hailing from Denmark, LEGO blocks have taken the world by storm since they first came out in the 1940s. From then, they’ve constantly evolved, ever expanding the types of bricks and themes builders can choose from. Many people who were introduced to the products when they were younger become fans for life, collecting or building display model sets and introducing LEGO to the next generation of kids.
For me, the appeal of LEGO is the possibilities are limitless. When you imagine a classic tub of about 500 LEGO bricks or so, in all sorts of different colors and sizes, there’s nothing that can’t be built. People are free to build something they’ve seen before, perhaps a car or an airplane. You can also reach into your imagination and create a spaceship or an entirely original concept. And when you’re bored with what you’ve made, you can take it apart and start all over again. LEGO sets aren’t limited to one approach. There are all sorts of ways to build and come up with things, and that inspires creativity and ingenuity – skills that are useful throughout all of life.
Those who prefer to have a LEGO design of their favorite building or vehicle or follow the directions to get something like a police station, have a wide variety of sets to choose from. Beginning with very basic themes, LEGO has grown to have a whole range of categories, such as Architecture, City and Star Wars. Ranging from small with a hundred or so pieces to massive with several thousand, there’s room for any skill level or interest.
Sets provide valuable lessons just as free-building with a tub of bricks does. Kids open up the box of the set and are confronted by a mass of pieces and an instruction book. Opening up the first page of the manual, following directions of a few pieces at a time, they end up with a ship or building. This teaches patience and delayed gratification. Larger sets can take hours of careful work to complete. But when done, the toy has more significance now than if it was ready to play with from the start. Time and energy has been invested into making it, and that makes it more special and worth it.
Now that I’m older, the play factor isn’t as important for me, as I’ve transitioned into the older, collector type of LEGO fan. My favorite themes are Architecture and Star Wars, which provide opportunities to build iconic buildings such as the White House or an X-wing from the popular movies. It’s so much more fun to have a LEGO model to display on a desk than a pre-made one. Even when following directions, it’s satisfying to watch something come together and end up with a finished product.
I think I’ll probably always have an affinity for LEGO, whether I’m building them myself or gifting them to some of my younger relatives. When there’s a product originally made for kids that catches the imagination of those of all ages, you know they’ve done something right.
