I have been a LEGO fanatic for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, we had the big box of more than 1,000 assorted LEGO Bricks that I would use to build towers and castles. I never had sets of LEGO bricks until I started working with LEGO in 2015. Now, I own around 30 sets.
Fun from the Get-Go
The fun starts as soon as you open the box. You start with just a bunch of bricks, and after hard work and patience you end up with a cool-looking creation. The packaging shows you what it is going to look like, but it’s really about the process of the model taking shape from nothing. Some sets are hard and complicated, and after you are done you can see all that you’ve accomplished. When buying for kids, keep in mind their individual play style. LEGO makes it easy to match the theme, piece count, and difficulty to the builder. (And remember, part of the fun for kids is being able to handle more sophisticated sets as they get older.)
LEGO Stands Alone
I love construction toys, and I have built many different sets from Meccano to Mega Bloks. I will forever love LEGO. LEGO challenges you without making you want to pull your hair out. When you’re putting together a construction set, nothing is more frustrating than unclear instructions or mixed up pieces. If I spend more time being mad than playing, it’s not worth the time or the effort.
LEGO’s large model system separates the pieces into bags marked “1,2,3” and so on. You open one bag at a time as you build, so you’ll never have to sift through 300 pieces at once. (You still have the challenge of finding the pieces within the different bags, but it’s not irritating.)
Instructions matter. And in LEGO sets, the colors in the pictures match the actual brick colors much more often than other construction sets. This may seem like a little thing, but it helps to know you are using the right pieces as you build, especially for little kids who might try to stretch their abilities with more difficult sets.
LEGO Is For Everyone
I love all LEGO brands, but the ones that really peak my interest are the Super Hero (DC and Marvel), Technic, Architecture, and exclusive sets. The great thing about LEGO is that there are so many different sets, and the company has even been known to respond to requests and petitions from fans to create specific themed sets.
LEGO can be fun for so many different reasons: do you want an easy set to destress with? Do you want a complicated set to challenge your mind? Do you want an interactive set? LEGO makes sets for everyone, and it’s one of the reasons the company has grown so much recently. It has Friends, Elves, and Disney Princess, which are primarily aimed towards girls. There are sets for popular movies from Star Wars to Marvel. When The LEGO Movie premiered, its debut sets sold out nationwide, while fans still look for LEGO’s Frozen set. Beyond these options, there are still the assorted LEGO brick sets for open-ended imagination and more.
Build, Play, and Display—The Essence of LEGO
For me, the thrill is building the LEGO sets and then keeping them assembled for display. I have all my LEGO sets on display. Children play with them, and they can use their imaginations while interacting with them. Some people even take them apart and put them back in the box so they can build it again at a later date. Each builder is different; there are those who get the thrill of building and those who get the thrill of seeing what they accomplished. Some people would rather keep rebuilding the sets they have, while others buy more to build and display.
The Best Set Ever?
Asking me to identify a favorite LEGO set is like asking a mom which child is her favorite. I love all sets equally because each is cool in its own way. But if I had to choose, it would be one I don’t have: the LEGO Super Heroes Shield Helicarrier. I am a huge fan of Marvel: Avengers, and I have seen all of the movies. This set has nearly 3,000 pieces and comes with five mini-figures: Nick Fury, Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye and Maria Hill. It also comes with 12 micro figures.
But while that’s my favorite, I’ll bet there are kids who have a different pick. And that’s the best part of being a LEGO fanatic. Every fan has his or her favorite individual set, but we’re all together in our love of LEGO.