4 random tips for LEGO lovers
Finding comfort in a playful rainy day activity for kids and families
Sending out love! It’s not easy, even for me, to write something playful right now. I want you to know I fully support you in whatever you are doing to keep yourself going each day. Luckily, I don’t have sponsors to please or money coming in from any source who gets to dictate what I get to say (besides you!) - so I will just keep showing up because I want to be here with you. And when it’s hard for you to think, I’ll try to be the one to come up with play ideas.
For us, it all started with building up Duplo and knocking them down. It didn’t even really matter what we built, it was the knocking down that he loved. We called our toddler “Mr. Destructo” because of the fun he would have with this repetitive play.
LEGO is something we truly do as a family together. In fact, I gifted myself this Botanical LEGO with my birth month flower when I saw it at Costco in December — and it was my husband and I who built it together over New Year’s with each of our now grown kids putting together some of the petals. So every time I look at it now it reminds me of the fun we had building.
It made me think of all the LEGO knowledge I’ve gained over the years and thought it might be fun to share? Something for you to do on a rainy day at least!
In play,
Michele
As a friendly reminder, make sure you ALWAYS check official sources when you are heading out to any of the locations I share. These are merely suggestions. Only you know what works for your family. Plus, your experience may not be the same as mine — and there can be changes to the hours or unforeseen circumstances or conditions at the suggested locations.
PLAY: 4 random tips for LEGO lovers
This is the section of the newsletter where we talk about PLAY or connecting to nature each week. I might share a video, an article, a book, or something inspiring. Just trying to help keep you empowered to prioritize play to benefit development and preserve childhood!
So what can I share that you don’t already know? Obviously, before proceeding, pay attention to the appropriate ages for each product so you don’t end up with a choking hazard in your midst. Here are my 4 random tips . . .
Duplo is the chunkier brand of bricks for younger children that aren’t as much of a choking hazard as the sets for older kids. We started our family LEGO obsession with Duplo. [Not Duplo - but they used to give these LEGO out as collectibles at Legoland! If you look closely, these bricks are from 2008!]
If you love LEGO, you’ll love Legoland California theme park in Carlsbad. The Flower Fields will open in March and you can plan a trip. We had a membership and would sometimes stay a night at the Grand Pacific Palisades so we could come/go from the park and not worry about parking. That’s before the Legoland Hotel went in near the park. It used to be a thing to go explore the hotel and go up in the elevator because the lights would dim and there was a disco party in the elevator (does that still happen?!). Now there are tons of San Diego moms who write all about Legoland. You can also visit the Agua Hedionda Discovery Center with its fairy garden and wildlife, plus the newly refurbished and interactive Museum of Making Music is also within walking distance.
You can make LEGO projects last! Do you know about the CREATOR sets which are 3-in-1? They are my favorite! Look at each of the 3 designs you can make! And there are lots of different sets like this to fit all interests.
It’s not just for kids! The sets can be quite spendy, but the Botanicals like the one I shared above are $29.99 and designed as home decor pieces. They even have very expensive Van Gogh or Hokusai wall art LEGO to build and display. That Chrysanthemum was $29.99 and you can spend less! They have $14.99 flowers with stems you can put in your own vase. You can hardly get a date night out for $30. This way you can stay home, put on some music, and do your own LEGO play.
You’ll find 2 Bonus LEGO Tips inside the play-filled extras section for paid subscribers just past the paywall where I share over 7 places to find LEGO sets and also 3 fun accessories.
Your Play Memories
Last week, we talked about nature spots and your play memories. I asked you to send in yours so I could share. Here’s what Caitlin shared with us:
“I was a 90’s childhood like you said - born 1988 - so we still had SOME freedom to roam, but mostly on the block. My memories are of riding my bike up and down the block and playing handball on neighbors’ garage doors. And tons, tons of time in the backyard! Here I am with a loose tooth on our backyard monkey bars in Mission Viejo!”
Would love to see more of these if you are inspired to send them in!
Play-Filled Extras are waiting below this paywall each week for all paid subscribers. Thanks for your support!