Building the World One Brick at a Time
I’m sure everyone at this point in time has heard of, seen, and especially played with Lego’s. But can you believe that over 400 billion bricks ago was a company in Denmark that started to change the way the way future was going to be shaped? That’s right. You may not know it, but Lego has changed the way we grow, create, and solve problems from the ground up.
There are many different age ranges and skill sets designed around the most basic of skills of a baby to the advanced with robotic control. As babies, we learn how to move, laugh, and play. Playing with Lego’s can teach us the same core set of skills. Anyone who has ever played with a Lego building set would know the value of sharing, the fun of creating, and the satisfaction of struggling through a design to find the correct combination that finishes the masterpiece.
The idea of being able to create a small or large sub-assembly and connect them to other sub-assemblies can be used in so many different ways, and although Lego didn’t necessarily create this way of thinking, most anyone who notices this pattern associates it to the Lego method. This idea can be used when creating computer code, some engineering principles, and practically anything that utilizes common parts or ideas. This method can make something that seems quite complex easier to handle in bite-sized pieces which is one of the more fundamental forms of problem solving.
It’s not to say that playing with Lego’s will make you more creative, but let’s just say that it might. These bricks have been inspiring imaginations from all around the world. A youth league of Lego builders was established called the FLL (First Lego League) that utilizes their Mindstorm sets to create Lego robots to do specific tasks. A them park was even built in California dedicated to these playful bricks. And here’s another fun fact! Worn out Lego molds are encased in building foundations! That’s right! It is entirely possible to say that the building you work in or maybe the store that you frequent is literally built on Lego bricks! That sounds pretty creative!
The monumental success of these toy sets have even been transferred to TV series, video games, and you can even create your own Lego comic! Yes, that’s right! Lego will be featured at booths and panels at the San Diego Comic Con! Lego is expanding into all sorts of genre’s and mediums to help inspire, create, and make learning that much more fun!
In summary, Lego has in some way or another captured our hearts and our imaginations and allowed all of us the chance to do something fun and creative and make a learning experience out of it.