My kids love Lego - so do my husband and I! In fact, for our birthdays this year, we got the Lego piano and Lego NES set, and we love getting new sets for our kids for holidays - plus we love to free build. It's a great family activity. I was excited to get new ideas in a book I got to review, LEGO® With Dad: Creatively Awesome Brick Projects for Parents and Kids to Build Together by Warren Nash. This full-color, step-by-step guide will help you utilize bricks (either new or ones you already own) to come up with creative new projects.
Honestly, when I'm free building with my kids, I default to vehicles or houses - I always have! They're just easy for me to be creative but still within a set of internal rules. This book was nice because it gave me more ideas to be even more creative. I also loved the fact that some of the Lego creation ideas were useful and practical - picture frames, bookends, a shadow puppet theatre, and more creations that can be enjoyed and used again and again, then personalized in great ways. The book contained builds simple enough for young kids, and complex builds that will challenge older kids. Lego builders with a ton of experience may not find a lot of new ideas, but even as someone who grew up playing with Lego, I was able to find lots of new ideas.
LEGO® with Dad demonstrates how building with LEGO® can strengthen family bonds through collaborative play and problem-solving. Each LEGO® build has simple steps and a multitude of in-progress images, making the process easy-to-follow for both parents and children.
Learn more in this interview.
Why did you write this book?
Lego has always been a massive part of my life. It was my all time favourite toy growing up and needless to say as an adult, I can still spend hours creating new things with it and it keeps me busy for hours - You’re never too old to play with Lego! Having such fond memories of Lego meant since becoming a father I’ve introduced it to my son and he too spends many hours exploring and creating new things with it. As a kid and now father, I’ve seen and experienced so many ways in which Lego can enrich family life and build bonds that I was eager to share the creations I have built and learned in my lifetime. Lego is one of the best toys to play with your family, and the time was right for me to finally celebrate the joys of Lego in my new book, Lego with Dad.
What makes Lego such a great family toy?
Lego is such a great toy because it’s possibilities are endless. It’s not like most other toys out there where you can get bored of it after a certain period of time. There are unlimited things you can build with it, plus it really inspires creativity and problem solving. The more you play with it, the more adventurous and imaginative your creations become. What’s more, it’s even more fun with family and friends.
How can parents encourage creative and open-ended play with kids?
I find encouraging kids to be aware of their surroundings is a great way to encourage open-ended and creative play. Struggling to think of something to build? Think of something impressive you saw on your last family vacation, or something you walk past on your way to school every day. Also, encourage kids to think outside the box. Why not build a game or something useful out of Lego, like a picture frame or phone speaker? Finally nothing makes Lego some alive more than motion. So why not buy a Lego motor and take your builds to the next level?
Why is playing together so good for kids and their adults?
It really inspires confidence plus builds strong bonds in families. It’s a great way to break away from the norm (e.g. sitting in front of the TV) and enjoy achieving a creative goal as a team. It encourages families to problem solve together, talk and most importantly have fun.
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