Jump to content

Menu

Indroduce me to Legos


Recommended Posts

So far, we've been Lego free, but we do like our Fisher Price Trios (they're like big legos, basically). DS (5 1/2) has taken a sudden interest in building (finally!) with them. While we do have a decent size tub of them, I'm thinking of moving into Legos for him. But there's so many! So many different kits. I really just don't know a lot about them. Are there good general sets? Beginner sets?

 

(And, mark my words, if I EVER step on one...!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AT 5 it is a tough call to decide on duplos vs legos, but with another little around I would suggest duplos.

 

a) they are cheaper and easier to find used

b)little cannot swallow, so less worrying for the mom

c)they make stuff faster, so the 5yo won't get discouraged too soon.

 

I guess I would get the duplos and buy a couple of specialized lego kits (that make cars and stuff) for the 5yo to try.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have bought a lot of Lego kits over the past few years. They are very expensive! In our house (one 7 year old boy), they last a couple of months only. He gets the enjoyment of building them (this usually lasts a few hours), then over time as he plays with them, they fall apart, pieces are lost, and eventually, they are lost to the catch all lego boxes. Sometimes he uses the catch all lego boxes to build something new or gets the instructions out for an old set and tries to rebuild it, but usually all of the pieces aren't there and it becomes too frustrating. Now he asks for new sets. I have spent a LOT of time organizing, trying to keep the sets together. I've bought tubs, baskets, bins, plastic bags, lego drawers and boxes, and finally I've given up. I won't buy anymore sets. If he wants a play set (pyramid or castle, etc), I'd rather buy Playmobile at this point. He doesn't get the few hours of building that he gets with a Lego kit, but he gets a lot more overall play time from it, and it doesn't just float off into the wind after a couple of months of play time.

 

We have a lot of other building sets and kits around to fulfill the need for building and a lot of bricks from broken down sets as well. But I won't buy another Lego set! He might still get them with his own money or as gifts from others but until he's a little older and more likely to keep the sets together, I won't spend another dime on them. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd rather buy Playmobile at this point. He doesn't get the few hours of building that he gets with a Lego kit, but he gets a lot more overall play time from it, and it doesn't just float off into the wind after a couple of months of play time.

 

:iagree: We love playmobil....actually my 16 yr old son still collects the soldiers. I figure he will pass them to his son. Most Americans do not know what they are though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AT 5 it is a tough call to decide on duplos vs legos, but with another little around I would suggest duplos.

 

a) they are cheaper and easier to find used

b)little cannot swallow, so less worrying for the mom

c)they make stuff faster, so the 5yo won't get discouraged too soon.

 

I guess I would get the duplos and buy a couple of specialized lego kits (that make cars and stuff) for the 5yo to try.

 

I think I would start with duplos also. Of course, quatros were the first Christmas gift we gave my 3 month old. We have an old duplo castle that has been really fun and the duplo fire station. My son just turned 7 and we started buying the regular legos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm disagreeing with those who say to start with Duplos unless you still have big concerns about your youngest trying to eat the smaller bricks. We began with Mega Blocks then Duplos then Legos. We did the Duplos when she was 5, just started Legos at 6. I think the Duplos are a step up from large Mega Blocks we had, but not enough to justify the money that was spent on them and how short that step lasted. She was begging for regular Legos within a month of getting the Duplos.

I thought she would prefer to build things on her own but she does prefer the instructions. So far she's been able to build, without adult help, items have a recommended age of 7 and up. The Lego City line has lots of fun vehicles to build that are for ages 5 and up, and my 4 year can build those with a little help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

(And, mark my words, if I EVER step on one...!)

 

:lol::lol::lol:

Just invest in thick soled house slippers now.

 

You can buy Lego by the pound on eBay. They come as a random collection of used pieces and don't build a finished product, but might encourage your child to build without relying on directions.

Personally, I would check out the current collections, and see what might appeal to your child. There are dinosaur based kits, the City collection, a monster line, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and many many more. One smallish set with a theme he loves and a collection of assorted pieces might light a fire for him. With ds (über Lego nerd) it really helped for him to build a few sets with directions first, to get a feel for how the pieces could be used. Then we bought him a couple pounds of random parts to elaborate. His collection is huge now, and he rarely plays with anything else.

Lego is about the best toy for builders I can imagine. But I sure love my thick soled slippers.:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When my boys got into legos, we got a big old lot of them on Ebay. They came with quite a few mini figs and zillions of other pieces. We didn't buy any actual kits for probably a year...they still use those I bought on ebay the most. When they get a kit they build it...and then it kind of just sits there. I was pretty picky about the legos I bought on ebay. I got them from an actual family selling their legos...not one of those that sells them by the pound. I felt like I got a better selection that way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't imagine life without legos! My 5 year old plays with them for anywhere from 1-5 hours a day. No joke. He started playing with them about age 3 and really ramped it up at 4. He has some that he follows directions on and then a bunch of random ones that he uses his imagination for. I like the mix of that. He does it in the office on a white sheet and the legos must stay on the sheet. I put in some classical music for him or, if the baby is sleeping, I will often do our read alouds then. My 3 year old is allowed in there with my supervision while the baby is sleeping and we have a gate up so the baby can't get in there.

We only had a few duplos and he has always been more into the fine motor skills so legos have been great for him!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't imagine life without legos!

 

:iagree: Our kids play with them non stop. We bought them a starter kit and then for birthdays and Christmas we buy the special kits (Lego Ninjago, the girl Legos, whatever they are called, Harry Potter, etc). I never try to keep the special kits together because all my kids want to do is build them, play with them until they start to break and then rip them apart to build new, modified versions.

 

The best part of legos is that they are never finished! You can ALWAYS make something new :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're another lego-loving family. We have both lego and trio. The Trio have moved into the 3 year old's room, and my 5 year old son has the big box of legos. It's a combo of a starter set of random bricks plus lots of broken up sets he's gotten over the last year or two. He will spend 2-3 hours with them, on some days. He will also still play with the trios.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the fun of legos! My boys got into them about the same age as yours and for years a lego set has been THE christmas gift for each of them. So they open their legos on Christmas morning and we build legos most of the day! What great memories!! We like the city sets best!

And just a hint...we kept separate sets in separate tubs (shoebox size and up) for years...then they convinced us to combine legos. For us, that was not a good decision. Overall they played with them less because they would get frustrated not being able to find a certain piece (keep in mind, by this time we owned many, many sets). Just think through how you will store everything and it will be a much more enjoyable experience along the way:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd jump straight from mega blocs to Legos. The mega blocs are nice because they're safe for younger siblings and you can build large things quickly. Also, they'll get passed down.

 

As for the Legos, I'd look for basic sets (yard sales, eBay, target) that don't come is specialized kits. Honestly, I think those kits can detract from what makes Legos truly beneficial and turn the kid into an assembler rather than a creator. Also, the mark-up for hunks of pastic has got to be about 1000 times what it costs to manufacture them. It's ridiculous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would buy a big lot of random stuff on eBay and maybe a kit or two from his favorite characters (my kids love Star Wars). That will give him a good idea of what can be done wi them and enou pieces to be creative. If he sticks with it, then watch out, because it is expensive. We joke that we have their college fund in Legos lol. Legos promote so many skills, and they are more than just a toy wiL click together pieces. Legos led my son to engineering, and at 9 he is very good at designing and build lots of things out of many materials.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd start with a cool set. Not the generic houses or cars type of stuff. Go straight to the Star Wars or superhero sets. Go to wherever you buy toys and look at the sets and pick the coolest looking one with the coolest looking people in the set. (The people are called mini-figs.) You can start with a set or two under $15.

 

The thing that I don't understand is that people seem to think you're supposed to build the set and keep it that way. NOT!

 

You're supposed to build the set, let it fall apart over a day or two, and then build whatever you want with the cool pieces. You need more than one set so you can mix and match the cool pieces together.

 

I agree with a PP. My kids play with Legos every single day for HOURS. Some of the stuff stays put together, but most of it gets lumped into bins and they sort through their thousands of legos and build whatever their imagination makes up.

 

Sorting is for wimps! :tongue_smilie:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My kids have never played with Duplos/Megabloks even though we have quite a few of each. Asher started building with Legos at 3.5, I think, 4 at the latest, and he loves them! We started with the the brick box with 600 pieces and slowly branched out into sets, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Ninjago (favorite!), and most recently, the Monster hunters. We have a ton of Playmobil, but I don't feel like A really plays with it anymore, other than the knights, so I don't know if I would start that at 5. He also loves the Hero Factory, which is made by Lego, I think we have over 20 of those guys :glare:. He has recently started asking about doing Lego stop motion films, so I think we are looking at quite a few more years of Lego fun :001_smile:.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd also suggest going straight to legos. Honestly, by age 2 1/2-3, my DD was DONE with duplos because there was only so much she could do with them, and was starting to move to legos. Actually, our duplos get more use now, because she can use them as the base and to fill in large items and then cover them with smaller bricks, than they did when she was in the 3-5 age group.

 

I tend to be of the "buy parts, not sets camp". That doesn't mean you NEVER buy sets-but that when you buy sets, you look at them as to what their utility in future building is going to be, not the set in and of itself. Because, the fact is, if you don't get into MOC (my own creation) building and just stick with sets, Legos are very expensive model kits and end up being frustrating to rebuild later. It's only if you look at a pile of legos and see, not the Harry Potter castle that was printed on the box, but a lot of other options as well, that they become the long-lasting play that they can be. We've bought sets that DD had no interest in or knowledge of the series they came from because of the pieces-Prince of Persia, for example, was of interest because it included a lot of nice pieces to make Indian/Middle Eastern looking buildings and settings. Atlantis has been great for constructing Ancient Greece.

 

My suggested early Lego purchase for most kids-one of the lego education minifigs set-either the Fairy Tales/book characters one, or the city one. Those, plus a couple of brick boxes, will hopefully get most kids started in building their own worlds and scenerios, rather than being tied to the package. And that's where lego shines.

 

Oh, on the Lego vs Playmobil thing, I suggest BOTH. My DD currently has Ancient Egypt constructed with the Playmobil sphinx and figures, and multiple lego pyramids and buildings. They work well together, and it's really not hard to make MOCs the right scale for Playmobil figures.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could always go to the Lego Store (i know one of our malls has one) and you can see what might work for your DC. If i was going to start over, id go and get one of those giant buckets of legos and maybe a couple sets.

 

I remember as a child my brother had a space set and I had a stable set. Then we had a bucket of tons-- we had so much fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So far, we've been Lego free, but we do like our Fisher Price Trios (they're like big legos, basically). DS (5 1/2) has taken a sudden interest in building (finally!) with them.

 

I think TRIO blocks are one of the most under-rated toys around. They are way better than Duplos, so don't waste your time on those. My son is also 5 1/2 and loves both TRIO and Lego for different reasons. We have a HUGE collection of both.

 

I think TRIO are a little better for free building for this age group and you can build BIG with them. Real toys sized things that you can play with. Lego is great when DS wants to build something detailed, more like modeling.

 

If your DS likes the TRIO, it might be worth sticking with them as they are significantly cheaper than Lego. I've found having a few of the specialized sets helpful - DS especially seems fond of the eyes so make sure you get a set with those.

 

If you go with Lego, I really like the Creator sets because they include several different directions to use with the same pieces.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking as someone with a bunch of little ones who love all things Lego, Duplo is great. :) My eldest two started using small Lego at around age 3, but they're still building with Duplo at ages 7 and 8. I guess it's a matter of perception. It's not seen as a "pre-Lego" stage in our family, just a different toy.

 

We do have a lot of sets, including brick boxes, trains, farm, marble run, quarry, and dollhouse. (We avoid the character stuff.) Some were bought used, but it's still been quite an investment over the years. But it was worth it to us to have a toy that we could keep in the family room for all the children to enjoy, without choking hazards. And with fewer stepping hazards, as the pieces are bigger and much more noticeable. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We love Duplo, and are just getting into Lego. My son Reeaally loves his Duplo:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/my-party-nikolay-phoenix-az-139687

 

 

And now that we are in Germany, we bought him a few "tiny lego" bits, as well as various gifts he received from grandparents. He's going to have to give them back at the end of our vacation, though, because we've agreed that they will be his fifth birthday present next February. This is mainly because I want to wait as long as possible, knowing that his younger brother (almost 2 1/2) will join in with the "tiny Legos," as the boys call them. Duplos are just Legos around here. :-)

 

We are starting with: two or three big buckets from the bricks and more, as well as three small bricks and more play sets, which he received from grandparents: a construction guy, a police man and bad guy set, and a safari set. He may also get the car building set for his birthday, but that should be enough to last him for quite a while, maybe with the addition of a few "guys." We found some of my old minifigs at my Oma and Opa's house, though they long-ago got rid of my Legos.

 

Maybe for next year's Christmas/birthday we'll move into the City line, and after that th Creator. I LOVE that those come with multiple builds from one set. So that's the plan for 5th, 6th, and 7th birthdays. After that, we re-evaluate. Maybe those Tech/robot things? But the main idea is pieces, rather than specific sets, which is why I love the Bricks and More sets as starters.

 

We also found tons of old Playmobil, which solved the Lego vs playmobil debate here. My husband had insisted we should choose, I thought we could do both (why not, I did!) ... But now that Oma gifted them some Playmobil and I found my old ones, the debate has been put to rest. Now how to fit them in the suitcase?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...