Why is there a stereotype that all boys like to play with Legos?

[Mommamia]

I've always found this stereotype sort of interesting. My boys could take or leave Legos. They love the Lego guys and will make up all kinds of pretend stories around them, but building with Legos has never been their passion. In each homeschool circle that we have been it is assumed that my boys must love Legos. At our last homeschool co-op, the morning devotion was centered around Legos....we have been invited to Lego parties...playdates are focused around Legos. I'm fine with all that( I guess) but it's starting to feel like we are the only homeschooling family of boys who like to do a list of other things before playing with Legos. Really, unless I pull the bin out, they forget we even have them.

 

Tell me, are we the only non-Lego loving family?

Edited August 11, 2010 by mom2littleboys

[elise1mds]

No, you're not. My boy enjoys Legos, but not with a passion. He'll build the odd thing once in a while, but he'd much rather read or build things with real wood and nails or just plain do other things most of the time. I find the Lego thing to be pretty consuming in many of our homeschool groups, too... one of the boys is even setting up a Lego blog. I just kind of shrug and move on.

[Guest CarolineUK]

I'm really glad you asked that question, it's one I've pondered often. If encouraged my lot will build Lego models with a fair amount of enthusiasm, but they DO need encouragement, it would never occur to them to get the Lego out themselves. In fact I don't think it's been out in almost a year. I have sometimes worried that maybe they're just totally uncreative and boring, but then I watch the elaborate make-believe adventures they play for hours in the garden (all four of them together aged 3 to 11), and I'm reassured. :001_smile:

[hornblower]

I suspect it's parents that glom onto it because it's a non 'screen' activity which you can usually get boys to do for at least a bit.

 

FWIW, my ds12 is only NOW getting into lego. We've always had tons of Lego (because some boys don't grow up & there's a 40something Lego boy here :)) & my dd used to play with Lego too.

 

But ds was a late Lego bloomer. And actually, he still doesn't really enjoy the building - he just wants to play with the stuff after it's built....

[rootsnwings]

We don't even own any "real" legos. We have one set of the duplo blocks and that's it. My 9yo has never really been into legos although he is just now really enjoying following directions to build models and follow science experiments so he may just now be coming into his element. ;) He's had a lego gift card since Christmas that is still in my wallet!!!!! :tongue_smilie:

[Belacqua]

I love the idea of a late Lego bloomer. :001_smile:

 

My kid never warmed to them, either. He counted them once, sorted them once, then put the box in his closet and I don't think it's ever been opened again.

 

It was the same with regular building blocks. He spent one afternoon laying them end to end across the entire house, then never again touched them. I tried not to think about how much I'd paid for the darn things when we recently donated them to the preschool run by our community center.

[Tangerine]

I'm sure it differs from boy to boy. My 4 year old is a very intensely focused lego builder. He always has legos in his hand. ALWAYS. He always played with the building materials that were around since his older sister's birth. When we felt like he had the dexterity for legos, we got some. His face has been buried in that bucket ever since.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Well, all my sons' friends do play legos and I know we have far more than I want to think about. I think it is because they are a toy that can be used by multiple ages with increasing complexity.

 

My oldest started with legos when he was five and still plays with them daily. His friends who play far more video games than he does are still into legos and often that is the only "toy" that older boys still play with. We've had boys from three or four up to 14 or 15 years old in ds's room building with them.

 

Legos do seem to just cross ages well, unlike other toys like Playmobile or Train sets or costumes/dress up clothes that are outgrown. They are difficult to break, can be used in a multitude of different ways and never wear out.

[Garga]

Maybe you should set up a poll to see how many boys love legos vs. which can take or leave them.

[Carrie12345]

You're not alone!

My oldest is homeschooled AND on the autism spectrum, so I'm baffled by his indifference toward Legos, lol. But whatever!

 

Paper and colored pencils are preferred in our house. Which is nice, since the youngest has yet to swallow a colored pencil! ;)

[Parrothead]

I thought it was a kids in general thing, not simply the boys.

[Joker]

In my home it is my two girls - but I rarely hear anyone talk about their dds playing with Legos. My dds are always building something with Legos and usually have at least one large set picked out that want at Christmas. Its also their favorite thing to do with dad. I wish it wasn't looked at as just a boy thing.

[Joker]

I thought it was a kids in general thing, not simply the boys.

 

We must have posted at the same time.:001_smile:

[Old Dominion Heather]

I wonder if there would be a correlation between whether the lego lovers were from families with more than one boy and if the lego dislikers were only boys. I've seen more only boys who are indifferent, but that might just be my circle of friends.

[Mom in High Heels]

Until about 3 months ago, I would have agreed with you, because Indy didn't care a whit about Legos. Something clicked one day though and suddenly he's crazy for them. He likes the people more than anything, but loves to build the sets. He'll sit for hours building. He pours over the directions and is very precise about what he builds. I don't know what happened, but suddenly it's all he talks about.

[kokotg]

My boys like legos pretty well, but they're not obsessed. Not a single one of them has had any interest whatsoever in trucks and cars, though. I was way more into legos when I was a kid, I think. I used to build orphanages and nuclear fallout shelters. Then I would plan out exactly which friends and relatives I was going to save and assign them rooms.

[Mommamia]

No, you're not. My boy enjoys Legos, but not with a passion. He'll build the odd thing once in a while, but he'd much rather read or build things with real wood and nails or just plain do other things most of the time. I find the Lego thing to be pretty consuming in many of our homeschool groups, too... one of the boys is even setting up a Lego blog. I just kind of shrug and move on.

 

:iagree: I could totally relate to your post. Thanks for sharing!!

[Mommamia]

I'm really glad you asked that question, it's one I've pondered often. If encouraged my lot will build Lego models with a fair amount of enthusiasm, but they DO need encouragement, it would never occur to them to get the Lego out themselves. In fact I don't think it's been out in almost a year. I have sometimes worried that maybe they're just totally uncreative and boring, but then I watch the elaborate make-believe adventures they play for hours in the garden (all four of them together aged 3 to 11), and I'm reassured. :001_smile:

 

:iagree: Yep, same thing in our house. Though, as I mentioned, they love the little Lego guys. As you mentioned, right now I can hear my boys acting out different characters and jumping on their mini trampoline...and then I'm reassured:001_smile:

[Mommamia]

Well, thank you. I really needed to hear from at least a few other families that sounded similar to us. I guess I needed some reassurance. Silly, isn't it.

[sparrow]

My oldest is homeschooled AND on the autism spectrum, so I'm baffled by his indifference toward Legos, lol. But whatever!

 

 

 

 

:lol: You'd think he'd be a shoo-in!

 

DS is on the spectrum, homeschooled, and Lego INSANE. Geez, now *we're* the stereotype. We usually try to go against the grain around here.

[Mama Geek]

My boys like legos pretty well, but they're not obsessed. Not a single one of them has had any interest whatsoever in trucks and cars, though. I was way more into legos when I was a kid, I think. I used to build orphanages and nuclear fallout shelters. Then I would plan out exactly which friends and relatives I was going to save and assign them rooms.

 

It sounds like you were just a little concerned about nuclear war.:D

[FairProspects]

We have the opposite problem. Ds is obsessed with Legos and he doesn't have any other friends who like them. His lego camp even got cancelled for lack of enrollment, so around here I guess there aren't a lot of Lego enthusiasts.

[Desert Rat]

My little one loves legos. He's playing with them right now. My oldest likes other lego products, especially Bionicles.

[Jami]

I wonder if there would be a correlation between whether the lego lovers were from families with more than one boy and if the lego dislikers were only boys. I've seen more only boys who are indifferent, but that might just be my circle of friends.

 

That's possible. We have one boy and three girls. But we have that Lego-loving dad factor here, and boys often learn to love what dad loves. I can't think of any of ds' friends who don't also really enjoy building and playing with Lego.

 

My girls love to build as well. My 8 year old has two of the house sets and she builds elaborate floor plans and furnishes them for her people. That's what *I* would have loved as a kid.

[Penelope]

It's a stereotype that has a basis in truth.

 

Legos also lend themselves well to homeschooling households because they are something that wiggly boys can do while they listen to read-alouds. And they don't usually want to color or draw (there's another sterotype for you-- the girls color and draw and write stories, the boys hate writing and all build with legos). ;)

[beccad777]

My boys (8,4) don't play with Legos either. I thought they would love them, but they just get all over my house!:glare:

[Lolly]

My ds has never really cared for them much. His favorite building type of toy was Lincoln Logs. I've not found many kids who enjoy them that much. Ds would build towns and then use the smallest logs as cars to drive around the town. Took up the entire floor for days!

[Staci in MO]

1. They don't involve a screen

 

2. As far as toys go, they are a bit more on the wholesome/educational side

 

3. A large span of ages can play with them

 

4. Many kids really do like them (my girl is the biggest Lego fan in the family).

 

5. Very few people object to them. I have some friends who don't do TV, some who don't do video games, some who don't do Harry Potter, some who don't do toy guns, swords, or war games. But I've yet to meet anyone who has a moral objection to Legos.

 

Put all those together, and it's easy to see why a lot of homeschoolers embrace them. My kids really do like Legos, but I've probably encouraged that love more than I have with any other toy.

[Mommamia]

1. They don't involve a screen

 

2. As far as toys go, they are a bit more on the wholesome/educational side

 

3. A large span of ages can play with them

 

4. Many kids really do like them (my girl is the biggest Lego fan in the family).

 

5. Very few people object to them. I have some friends who don't do TV, some who don't do video games, some who don't do Harry Potter, some who don't do toy guns, swords, or war games. But I've yet to meet anyone who has a moral objection to Legos.

 

Put all those together, and it's easy to see why a lot of homeschoolers embrace them. My kids really do like Legos, but I've probably encouraged that love more than I have with any other toy.

 

Oh, I understand why a homeschool family/child would like them. Heck, I like them....I love all of their pretty colors. My children are just not that interested in them. I get that they are used to keep busy fingers occupied during lessons, but that would not work in our home. Give them a pile of rocks, marbles, Beanie Babies(etc) and they will have a blast. Legos, not so much.

[mcconnellboys]

My older son never played with Legos. He got some Bionicles when he was about 12 and put those together (or his cousin put them together for him), but that was about it for him....

 

When he was little, he loved, loved, loved Thomas the Tank Engine. He had 3 or 4 different sizes of trains and track sets, from a mini-set that I've never seen anywhere else to the larger diecast metal, to the wooden sets. He liked Transformers when he was about 10-12 (I think that's why he sort of like Bionicles, too). But he mostly played games of the imagination using his dress up clothing and weaponry, etc.

 

My younger son has always liked Legos and plays with them constantly. He just built another two new Star Wars planes yesterday. He has two shelf units in his room that hold all his battle ready sets, which are set up in certain ways, prepared for battle. When my older son's friends come in and touch them - he knows. He never, ever cared to play with trains....

 

Kids can be very different, even in the same family....

[Hockey Mom]

DS7 is my Lego man. That boy will play for hours on end with his Legos. He is pretty creative in what he builds as well.

 

DS6 will take or leave Legos. He likes to play with them after the toy is built, but he has no patience to actually build something.

[LNC]

My 9yo son doesn't enjoy regular lego sets and minifigures. He LOVES Lego Technic though. He says they have moving parts and stuff :).

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I wonder if there would be a correlation between whether the lego lovers were from families with more than one boy and if the lego dislikers were only boys. I've seen more only boys who are indifferent, but that might just be my circle of friends.

 

I know of two boy lego-lovers. One is an only child. One is an only boy (with one sister). I have 3 boys. They play some with legos, but more imaginative play rather than building-obsessed play. They don't talk about legos. They don't save up money for legos. They don't ask for legos for birthdays or Christmas... It might have something to do with the fact that they are extroverts and interaction with people and other kids (including their brothers) is paramount. (Both of the lego-lover boys I know are more introverted.) Or, the fact that my oldest is extremely imaginative and not in any way, shape, or form systematic. My middle guy might be more inclined to build things if he wasn't involved in imaginative play with his older brother or 'real' projects with mom and dad (that extrovert thing, again).

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

That's possible. We have one boy and three girls. But we have that Lego-loving dad factor here, and boys often learn to love what dad loves. I can't think of any of ds' friends who don't also really enjoy building and playing with Lego.

 

My girls love to build as well. My 8 year old has two of the house sets and she builds elaborate floor plans and furnishes them for her people. That's what *I* would have loved as a kid.

 

I think Dad being interested in legos would have a huge effect, too. My boys aren't big lego kids, and I've never seen my dh even be slightly interested in playing with legos. He is MUCH more the 'do real projects and involve the boys' sort of guy.

 

OTOH, I did have the house lego sets as a kids and LOVED playing with them!!!

[Dobela]

My son has never liked legos. We gave ours away not to long ago. Tains, cars, building with real sticks and such - now those he loves and could do nonstop.

[Mom0012]

I never really thought of it as a stereotype. I just think that a lot of boys do love legos. My son started playing with them at five and has spent hours every day playing with them since then and he's almost 11. Every friend he has loves them, except one. They are just a very popular toy.

 

Lisa

[Mommamia]

I wrote stereotype because the families that we have come across in our homeschool path automatically assume that we are Lego lovers. Maybe stereotype is not the correct word. Really, I should have titled it "Why do so many people assume that- because we homeschool and have boys- we love to play with Legos?".

 

After reading all of the responses, I've realized that NOT everybody assumes this.....for some reason, we keep meeting families who have different interests than ours. We just happen to meet Lego lovin' kids. It doesn't seem to bother my boys . I think it bothers me:lol:

[Joanne]

I think the answer to your question is easy: Most boys *do* enjoy legos.

 

It's a "stereotype" based in quantitative reality.

 

That reality doesn't suggest anything else, however.

 

It doesn't suggest boys *should* like legos.

It doesn't suggest girls don't.

It doesn't suggest a lego-less childhood is impoverished.

 

It just means that most boys like legos.

[Hockey Mom]

I know of two boy lego-lovers. One is an only child. One is an only boy (with one sister). I have 3 boys. They play some with legos, but more imaginative play rather than building-obsessed play. They don't talk about legos. They don't save up money for legos. They don't ask for legos for birthdays or Christmas... It might have something to do with the fact that they are extroverts and interaction with people and other kids (including their brothers) is paramount. (Both of the lego-lover boys I know are more introverted.) Or, the fact that my oldest is extremely imaginative and not in any way, shape, or form systematic. My middle guy might be more inclined to build things if he wasn't involved in imaginative play with his older brother or 'real' projects with mom and dad (that extrovert thing, again).

 

That's interesting. It's the exact opposite in my house. DS7 (Lego lover) is the extrovert with the wild imagination, and DS6 is more introverted. LOL

[DarlaS]

My kids really do like Legos, but I've probably encouraged that love more than I have with any other toy.

 

:iagree:

 

I think the difference also has to do with just buying a huge tub of lego blocks vs a set. With the sets, they are hunting for pieces and assembling a 3D puzzle. With the blocks, it's more open ended play. My kids prefer the sets and the tubs of blocks sit unused much of the time.

 

I also encourage their love of legos. When a new catalog comes, we all go through it together to see what's new. (I am really wanting to get the Taj Mahal set for ME!)

[kalanamak]

 

Tell me, are we the only non-Lego loving family?

 

 

We are much more Zoob-y, but only when it isn't nice out. Then we are beach-y.

[lovemyboys]

Well, thank you. I really needed to hear from at least a few other families that sounded similar to us. I guess I needed some reassurance. Silly, isn't it.

 

Sympathy for you here. We are a lego-lovin' family here. But when dc were little they loved dinos and all their friends were into rescue heroes. Ds was quite bored with them. Dc have never been big into pokemon/yu-gi-oh cards either which have been very popular in homeschool circles at times.

 

It's not easy when the toy or activity of choice is less than thrilling to your own dc. It's more than just getting along, it's lingo and culture too.

 

Hope they'll find common fun -- maybe there's something within the lego "universe" that would bridge the gap?

[Mommamia]

We are much more Zoob-y, but only when it isn't nice out. Then we are beach-y.

 

You speak my language:lol:

[Mommamia]

It's not easy when the toy or activity of choice is less than thrilling to your own dc. It's more than just getting along, it's lingo and culture too.

 

 

 

:iagree: Thank you. This is so true.

[Old Dominion Heather]

I don't know about that. I have one introvert, one middle of the road kind of guy and one wild and crazy extrovert who, all three, love their legos. In fact, they left a Disney theme park for an afternoon to go to the LEGO store. Seriously. My wildest and craziest has birthday and Christmas list that have consisted solely of lego items.