When should boys stop playing with lego? Explanation added.

[Excelsior! Academy]

What is the "norm?"  

 

 

 

Eta: Poll added.  Explanation for question to come later.

 

 

 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________

The poll results were exactly as I expected.   :)

 

And yes, the question was worded intentionally.

 

Extended family member, who will be known as Mr. Moneybags and would have no problem being referred to as such, asked ds what he would like for his birthday.  Mr. Moneybags likes to spend $$$ for certain children's birthdays.  DS, who LOVES Star Wars and Lego, requested a specific Lego set knowing it would be in the price range and one we likely wouldn't purchase.  Mr. Moneybags has repeatedly told DS and me privately on the phone that while he purchased said Lego set, he didn't know why a 13 year old boy should be still playing with Lego.  Of course, DS "should" play with Lego if he so desires.  Lest you think I think it is merely a boy's toy, I do not.  My girls have Lego too, that was just not part of Mr. Moneybags concern.

 

 

Edited to add: Younger DS whose birthday is a couple of weeks from older Lego loving DS requested a tablet.  Mr. Moneybags had no problem with that request.   :rolleyes:

Edited May 4, 2017 by Excelsior! Academy

[crazyforlatin]

DH still plays with Legos. 😯

[Lang Syne Boardie]

The ages on the box are probably the norm...many sets say 8-14...but there are adults who build with Lego. We don't have an age limit in my house, although everyone here has lost interest by age fifteen at the latest. (That one was into architecture sets.)

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I still like building Lego. I like to help my kids when they get new sets even though they're long past the point of needing my help.

[MrsMommy]

I regularly buy Lego sets for me, so I don't see why anyone would have to stop playing with them.

[Seasider]

Never

[Jean in Newcastle]

Who cares about norms? If they enjoy playing with them, it's fine.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[happi duck]

When they stop enjoying it!

 

Unless something is a health risk in some way I'm not sure "norms" ever matter.

 

I'm pretty sure that kids who really love Lego build into adulthood.

[nixpix5]

I still play with legos :) My oldest is now 23 but he played with legos until around 13yo and then at 17yo took a job at the Lego Store until he stated college. There is something timeless and thoroughly enjoyable about Lego

[Big Buckin' Longhorn]

My 24 year old still plays with Legos. He spends way too much money on fancy collectible sets with 3K pieces. Whatever. It's his money.

[Sk8ermaiden]

Every adult I know who loved Lego, still loves Lego.

[LucyStoner]

Eh, as long as they want to? My son is turning 14 next month and has mostly given up lego in favor of robotics and computer tinkering but he will still work with legos with his brother and he's still saving for that Death Star. 😜

Edited May 4, 2017 by LucyStoner

[Guest]

It's pretty individual but 7-12 seems to be prime lego age territory for a lot of kids. Same with American Girl, interestingly enough.

 

But if your child loves legos and it becomes their 'thing' I'd expect it to continue well into adulthood. And the good news is they'd be in good company as it isn't that weird or rare of a hobby to maintain compared to some.

[OneStepAtATime]

When they become boring.

 

That goes for girls, too.

 

(In other words 105 is just fine if they still like legos)

Edited May 4, 2017 by OneStepAtATime

[emmaluv+2more]

I voted other. Boys (or girls for that matter) should stop playing with Lego sets whenever they want? I guess I'm looking forward to your explanation because I kinda don't get the question. Is there really a specific age someone "should" stop building with Lego?

[swellmomma]

In my house it never ends, my 18 yr old doesn't play it much though he never did.  My 13 yr old loves his lego.  I play lego with them or at work with the kids because I enjoy it, I never got to play legos as a kid, my folks would only buy it for my brother because he was a boy, us girls got dolls and tea sets.  My brother still buys himself lego sets from time to time, and he is 33.

[Crimson Wife]

Never but 'tweens and teens typically move on to specialty sets like Mindstorms Robotics or those architectural ones.

[Arcadia]

You can get a job at Legoland where part of the job scope is playing with Legos :) One of my kids career choices is to be a lego model builder. They rather go Legoland than Disneyland https://qz.com/600927/dream-job-alert-legoland-is-hiring-model-builders/

[gardenmom5]

it should - should kids stop playing with lego?

 

one of my favorite stories is a woman who loved lego so much - she got a degree in architecture.  then convinced lego they needed her to work for them.

 

1dd used lego as her medium for her model of a cell in middle school biology.

 

some of those kits aren't not for kids . . .

[Ali in OR]

I think my sets say to age 99. Seriously. We get the harder ones. Play with legos as long as you want to, but make sure you're also attaining other life goals like getting an education, a job, a family, etc. Not okay to just do legos.

[cjzimmer1]

I don't "play" with legos such as creating imaginary battles or other storylines.  But I absolutely love to build the sets.  It's the building that is so satisfactory to me (but then again I absolutely love to assemble the unassembled furniture pieces that we have).  So I don't think anyone is too old to play or build with Legos

[Legomom]

My teenage son loves Lego. I consider him to be a serious builder and it a big interest for him, but he has other interests as well. He is my go to guy for fixing things and understanding new equipment etc. It has been interesting over the years when he has visited various friends' homes to hear that his friends' fathers have been the ones with the most interesting Lego sets displayed in their home office etc, compared to the kids' sets!!

[Alte Veste Academy]

Heeheehee... Should? It's not a should question, I think. Should sounds like a judgment, and what's to judge about having fun in a way that isn't the least bit harmful? There is much to be said for being young at heart, even when still technically young in age. As long as a child is maturing into a young adult in a steady way, I can't see this as a big deal.

 

...says the mom who has the complete LEGO winter village which is assembled and added to each Christmas...and who just purchased the Assembly Square for a family Christmas gift...

[Misha]

Why just boys? 

 

 

My girls play with Legos far more than my son ever did, I play with Legos, and DH plays with Legos.

 

Legos don't care for age or gender - they are everything at every age. 

[Legomom]

As a side note, when I attended a Lego convention with my son, I conducted my own informal job survey of the adults who displayed their Lego creations and it was very interesting to see the wide variety of careers. Some of them included: construction, artists, physician, math teacher, MIT student. I expected to see more of a pattern represented.

[Tanaqui]

What a strange question! If their playing with legos isn't harming anybody, then they should do so as long as they please.

[OneStepAtATime]

I'm feeling the urge to pull out some Legos right now, as a matter of fact. ðŸ˜

[La Condessa]

My husband's lego ship is sitting on the desk beside me right now.  :)

[Guest]

The ages on the box are so you don't buy one too complicated for the recipient. They aren't an interest gauge.

[Guest]

oops

[Guest]

I have a lego coaster and a lego smily face sculpture and s lego cellphone. Apparently the SIM chip doesn't really work. Alas.

[maize]

I took my Legos to college with me, they were a hit anytime I pulled them out with friends around.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Not a boy but I still play with legos.

[Carrie12345]

I'm a 40 year old woman who asked for and received Lego for Christmas.  (Well, I was 39 at the time.)

[Carrie12345]

 

...says the mom who has the complete LEGO winter village which is assembled and added to each Christmas...and who just purchased the Assembly Square for a family Christmas gift...

 

:w00t:

 

Jealous!!!

[Janeway]

I want the Parisian restaurant next.

[Guest]

I'm reading the question as ~when should I expect to stop buying Legos at every holiday?~ and I think 14.

 

One of mine already mostly lost interest, at about 8. The other is obsessed though, and I suspect he will be til either cars or girls are in the picture in a big way.

[Pink and Green Mom]

My older son gave it up around 11/12 (interestingly, about the same time he went to school).  My younger is 12.5 and all he talks about are Lego, Minecraft, and Lego Minecraft.  I will admit I am sort of looking forward to him giving up Lego because I am sick of him wanting $200 sets for Christmas and then putting them together in an hour.  I am also sick of hearing about the robotics set ($300) that he wants "for summer" (as if "summer"  is now a gift giving opportunity).  He keeps telling me he can program a robot that will bring me drinks by the pool but I am still not into it :lol:

[Guest]

As if summer were a gift giving _opportunity_ hahahaha 😄

[kroe1]

DS36 recently had me buy him a new Star Wars set. I just bought myself the new Lego Disney Castle, but, I guess it is alright for elderly women.

[Night Elf]

It's possible for a child to outgrow any toy or hobby, including Lego. However, I most certainly don't think a parent needs to encourage a child to give up Lego. Even adults get much pleasure out of building.

[Mom-ninja.]

Strange question. Why "should" someone stop playing with legos? 

[Guest]

Count me among those who say, "What a strange question?" Now, if the question is, "When will I be free from the threat of stepping on a lego piece with my bare feet," then, it makes a little bit more sense to me. Teenagers who still play with Lego can be expected to do a better job of keeping their materials organized. I put no arbitrary age limits on such things. When is it "normal" to stop reading stories with your mom at bedtime every night? My 12yo and I are still reading together most every noght before he goes to bed.

 

P.S. Some girls play with Legos. I had a Lego equivalent when I was a kid; we had "Brix Blox" and we were four girls until I was 11 and my parents finally had a boy.

[Acorn]

DH has been talking about a new Lego Saturn rocket all week. I gather that will arrive in the mail soon.

[Acorn]

I like Legos myself, especially the holiday scenes. I have the female scientists on my desk at work.

[Teachaheart]

I voted never. I played with Lego at the library last night.

[mom@shiloh]

I voted 'never'. Now that all my sons are in their teens, they don't keep Legos laying around anymore and don't have much time to play, but if there were younger kids around playing with them they'd still enjoy playing with them.  My older ds was in his 20's when his younger brothers were in the Legos stage and he enjoyed having an excuse to still play with Legos.

 

[Angie in VA]

Never. Never ever. 

 

A dear friend has a Lego room. It's a small room in their basement, but one wall is lined w/ clear carts w/ drawers carefully labeled. The family still receives big Lego gifts and the youngest is 12. One of their sons landed a cush job as an engineer. Right now he's busy w/ that job and getting ready to get married, but he still likes Legos. 

 

:)

[regentrude]

When they no longer enjoy it. There are no "shoulds".

[HomeAgain]

The boxes used to say from age 4 - 99 on them. It's not my fault they shortened the range in more recent years.