During
the Great Depression Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen started building smaller
projects due to lack of demand for his typical projects such as custom
furniture and ground up new construction homes. Building smaller items was the
initial inspiration towards making toys and eventually Legos.
Initially
Legos were not a hit like they are today but during the last 3 decades of the
20th Century the Lego industry exploded. “Annual production of Lego bricks
averages approximately 36 billion per year, or about 1140 elements per second. If all the Lego bricks ever produced were to be divided equally among a world population
of six billion, each person would have 62 Lego bricks.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego
Legos
are a staple for almost every child in this country just like pb& j
sandwiches. Kids can be happily entertained
for hours by these little bricks. Girls, boys, toddlers, tweens;
all
kids love Legos.
There
are additional benefits to playing with building bricks besides just having fun
and giving mom & dad a break. The educational benefits include:
- · provide a meaningful context for children to learn concepts, skills and divergent thinking
- · make learning fun and enjoyable while improving fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
- · encourage children to explore and discover together and on their own which improves their social skills
- · allow children to extend what they are learning and build confidence
- · encourage children to experiment and take risks
- · provide opportunities for collaborative learning with adults and peers
- · allow for the practice of spatial skills, language skills and problem solving skills
Legos
play on children’s strengths. It helps work on strong building skills which
come naturally to some children and constantly exposes them to new ideas. Is
this where the future architect or general contractor is molded and shaped?
Legos aren't just for kids anymore. There is Lego Architecture which is a specific
line of products for adults that celebrates architecture and construction. They
have sets for Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, Guggenheim Museum and Frank
Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water”.
So next
time you sit down to play Legos with your kids embrace the chance to reconnect
with you inner childhood architect. Play well.