You’d think that moving to the land of Lego would’ve been a good indicator of what my future may hold as the mother of a young child. But the acquisition of Lego starts very slowly. First, with Duplo, a line of construction toys from The LEGO Group designed for toddlers and preschoolers, you can easily find an endless supply at flea markets and from friends whose kids have since outgrown it. You find yourself accepting these donations with gratitude and glee, unbeknownst that this is just the gateway to tiny Lego.
Before you know it, you’re up to your eyeballs in Duplo, building intricate structures and train tracks with various stations and inclines, while rather cleverly investing in rechargeable batteries to fuel the trains. The enjoyment of creating with the chunky blocks is something shared by all ages. Many an afternoon has been spent building and modifying. A child’s imagination is set free.
Slowly, my son’s eye was drawn to the smaller creations advertised by Lego. The initial purchase of a Lego road-roller was the catalyst. But he wasn’t satisfied with simply building it once; he insisted we disassemble and rebuild it repeatedly. He was fascinated. Now, we take Lego with us on flights, where the thought of building Lego while navigating turbulence is an experience that we’re willing to accept.
Little by little, more Lego is purchased, as one quickly realizes that no one is willing to simply give away the precious little bricks of plastic. You start with a small bin for said Lego to be contained, which is then upgraded to a larger bin. Then a system is needed to keep the little instructional booklets somewhat organized. This is a mind trick, because spoiler…the Lego is never contained! The sprawl is out of control. The creations, endless. The enjoyment, immense!
And while I sit alongside my four-year-old son, admiring his patience and concentration as he builds his latest creation, I can’t help but quietly contemplate how many tiny pieces of Lego I’ve unknowingly sucked up with the vacuum. Why? Because last week I dug through a full vacuum bag in search of an earring that became prey to my cleaning. And while searching, I found not one, not two, but three (technically four?) tiny bits of Lego; treasures from the vacuum bag. I can now see this becoming a regular task to ensure our stock doesn’t dwindle with each weekly cleaning.
There’s a lot of talk these days about open-ended toys being the best choice for fostering creative kids and ensuring the longevity of play. A value that is highly nourished and encouraged in Denmark. So it seems rather fitting that Lego is made in Denmark. Playing with the bricks, big and small, encourages fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and problem solving (think, spatial awareness). A gradual development that I’ve had the privilege of witnessing my son benefit from, with each newly built creation.
