Legos

[Lynda J]

Know what you mean. When my late husband and I took Kevin 8 years at 4. My own kids are grown. I dug out my son's legos and gave them to Kev. He now has 3 of those 30 gal plastic storage bens full of them. He still will spend hours building.

He stores them in an old quilt box in the containers. He has smaller containers for some of the special ones. I love legos. It makes kid use their brains and imagiation. Best toy you can give kids.

[johndaigler]

My Wolves used the LEGO Contraptions booklet for inventions in March! We built the Trap Door Cable Car (with the parachuting minifig), the Kentucky Do Nothing, the Candy Machine and the Ping Pong Ball Popper!! Challenging, but tons of fun! (sorting out the appropriate blocks for each team of boys was a big enough challenge for me!!) Big hit with the boys and their friends at the pack meeting!!

 

My favorite part was when the boys started re-engineering the machines, modifying them and making adjustments to what they saw as errors and weaknesses!! For example, they put a base plate beneath the candy machine and built up a wall around the edge to form a bit of a bowl to catch the candy as it ejected from the machine - much better than jelly beans bouncing across the table down onto the floor!

 

I wouldn't be afraid to use LEGOs - even with oldest boys. As long as the activity is appropriately themed and challenging - I'd bet they just see the blocks as building tools, not toys. Everyone knows how complicated these engineered constructions can get - I think LEGOs reputation would withstand teen cynicism. Volvo teamed up with LEGO for the Chicago Auto Show and made a full size Volvo XC-90. The LEGO construct supposedly turned out to be heavier than the real car!!!

 

jd(This message has been edited by johndaigler)