Okay, okay I know that I really can't get a second childhood for myself, but I'm sure that I can get in there and enjoy my Grandchildren's childhoods just a little more!
No I'm not going to share with you how old I am, but I am going to share what was one of my favorite childhood toys and one of my most favorite new additions to these toys.
LEGO has been around for ages!
Would you believe that in less than 10 short years it will be making it's 100th birthday?
Why not celebrate this milestone with your own party of Lego People!
It is true, Lego was started in 1932 by a carpenter from Denmark. Today it is one of the most endearing and enduring toys that was ever manufactured.
What keeps it interesting is that it has managed to change and evolve with the passing times and it manages to keep hands old and new busy making things.
But my favorites of all times are the figures. Even when I was younger, I loved putting the figures together first. They would go to watch me, while I wrestled with the rest of the set.
Today, I would be in seventh heaven, because now you can buy the figures on their own without having to purchase a whole set with only one or two figures inside. Now, I must make a recommendation here. If your child is only into the figures and really doesn't care about the sets, you can purchase figures that are "Lego-like" for much less than the original Lego figures. But if you are a prurist, and only Lego will do, be prepared to shell out. I was looking at sets to buy, and was just a little shocked that Amazon shows a whole bunch of Lego people in a picture, but when you read the description, you are actually only getting one character piece. So, buyer beware! One character can cost you quite a bit!
This was a smart move on the company's part! It keeps kids engaged and can still follow all the current trends with movies, on-line games and stories that kids love to read. Kids have so much more creative time with figures from all kinds of sets moving about all the different themes. Again buyer beware!
Today you can even get flowers in Lego sets. They will definitely last a lot longer than the "cut Flower" varieties.
If you want to know more about Lego, there are even history books written about the little Bricks that sparked children's imaginations for decades.
Why you might ask are Lego so expensive? Well my father was a toy manufacturing engineer and he explained it to me. The dies that are made to make these little bricks are quite expensive to make and need replacing often. It is not something that can be changed, it is the nature of the process. I could get more technical, but I'd lose you in the process. Let's just say that Lego makes a great product that lasts for years and years. Children all over the world have enjoyed them and I'm sure they will continue to do so for many more years to come. Lego bricks last that long too!
My son has been building Lego sets his whole life. As an adult, he now collects the Lego figurines and often selects a single figure he wants to purchase off Ebay to ensure he gets the exact one he wants. The surprise packages are pretty cool too. He will bring home a few at a time and get very excited when he discovers a rare figurine inside.
ReplyDeleteLegos were not a part of MY childhood, but they definitely were (and are) popular with my children and now my grandchildren. My two youngest grandsons even have that 'Big Book of Lego Facts' book, which they find fascinating. In addition to the big and little 'sets' we've collected over the years, once my kids all grew up I found myself with a whole plastic tub of Lego pieces and people from many sets left behind by the last kid to leave home. They became a part of my 'grandma box' of toys for visiting grandsons, until one day when 7 year old Ryan showed such an interest that I let him take the whole box home with him. :). It is hard to meet a kid (or even an adult fan) who doesn't love Legos.
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