[Editorial published 1/31/08]
Hi Everyone,
This week the LEGO brick celebrated its 50th birthday. The fact is, that Legos are an integral part of my life. My son (4) builds for at least 1 hour each day. One of the reasons we don't schedule activities early in the morning is that if he hasn't had a chance to build, it's very tough to get him out the door. Being a Lego parent, I've learned a few things that may be helpful to other Lego parents (or future Lego parents.) This week's topic is Legos!
Getting a child started with Legos just takes a simple trip to the store, or a special trip to the Lego store (e.g., Colorado Mills Mall).
Everyone knows the regular bricks, but Legos come in many flavors, here are just a few:
+ For engineers, there are Technics that have axles, wheels, pulleys, sockets, etc. A good introduction to Technics is the Lego Crazy Action Contraptions kit.
+ For girly-girls there is the Belville line with princesses, ponies, castles, the works.
+ For train lovers there is a sophisticated line of motorized Lego trains and tracks, but for kids under 5, I recommend the Duplo Thomas and Bob the Builder sets.
+ For pretenders, the available mini-figures are awesome and the fan-made YouTube movies can be very funny but parental pre-screening is advised.
To re-acquire a Lego piece, here is the procedure I use. If there is a problem with a new set, just contact Lego customer service. If that doesn't work, you'll need to determine the set number and the part number. The set number is on the outside of the box, if you don't have the box, see if you can find a photo of it on eBay simply enlarge it to read the set number. Else, type the name of the set into peeron.com and find the set number that way. Now that you have the set number, search for it on peeron and see if there is an "inv" link. This inventory will give you the correct code numbers for every piece. (Don't be distracted by the long codes that appear in the instruction booklet, they are irrelevant.) Now that you have the part number you can search bricklink.com to find the sellers who have your piece. Remember to look over each store's policy for any hidden costs (usually no big deal). One of my favorites is the Legologist store, she's extra helpful -- but honestly I've had good transactions with every seller I've encountered.
In our home we've used Bricklink to assemble a sizable collection of Bionicle parts. We've found that building with these random parts inspires more creativity and there is a lot less stress over whether a figure is complete or perfectly assembled. (For Bionicle addicts, check out the professionally made short films at bioniclestory.com and the associated comics.)
Once kids are ready for the small Lego pieces, I highly recommend the Brickmaster club (approx $40). Your child will receive occasional packages, magazines and a free ticket to Legoland that is valid for one year.
For computer-savvy kids, the Lego Digital Designer is fun (free download). Create something unique and then click to order the parts needed to physically construct it. You can also see the custom designs of other Lego lovers.
For dessert, check out this CNN clip on Nathan Sawaya. Then browse his online gallery. Whether you are a Lego lover or not, his sculptures are thought-provoking and downright spectacular.
Lastly, a favor to ask, if you happen to know a photo guide of Lego pieces that includes the difference between a pin / axle / plate / tile / wedge / etc., please drop a line, I'd like to add it to this article.
I hope your week is filled with laughter,
Jill
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 April 2009 )
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