World LEGO Day

It is hard to imagine a toy that is more universal than LEGO. The simple act of joining two interlocking bricks together requires no language. Generations of children and parents around the world have understood the power of this amazing toy.

Image: JK Brickworks/Flickr

Regardless of how simple it appears to be at first glance, LEGO can represent different things to different people. To a child, it is a way to harness their imagination and joy of playing. To a proud parent, it is a tool that helps their child to learn coordination. To a teenager, it is the spark that ignites a lifelong interest in engineering or an understanding of science. For an adult, it is an enjoyable diversion from the stresses of the day.

The fact that LEGO can be all of these things at the same time is the true secret behind its genius. In honour of International LEGO Day on Thursday 28^th January (and the latest podcast from the Geeks, We Are Your Fathers gang), I was asked to write about why LEGO has inspired me.

My First Kit

I am sure that this wasn’t the first kit that I was bought, but it is the first I remember. In the 1980s, the range of Space kits caught my imagination more than any other. I made and re-made this model so many times that I no longer needed the instructions.

Image: LEGO

It is no accident that when The LEGO Movie was released in 2014, one of its main characters was Benny the Spaceman. Everything from the broken faceplate of his helmet to the faded logo on his chest brought back fond memories for millions of us, including me.

Image: LEGO/memegenerator

Technic

So many engineers credit LEGO as one of the major influences in their future careers. This becomes easier to understand when you look at the Technic range. This was the product that turned a simple toy into a tool for understanding construction and engineering.

Image: LEGO

The kits that were available back when I was a kid were fairly primitive when compared to those of today, but at the time they were a revelation. The model that served as my inspiration was this tractor, teaching me about things like steering racks and differentials. Modern equivalents boast working suspension and powered motors, but this was the kit that started me down the engineering road.

Star Wars

As a proper geek, my mind was blown when I found out that LEGO had teamed up with Lucasfilm to release Star Wars kits. It has been well reported in the business pages how, during the late 90s and early 2000s, LEGO was close to bankruptcy and the then-new Star Wars license was one of the few things that kept the company afloat.

I knew little of this at the time. By 2000, I was technically an adult. I had long-since forgotten my LEGO days and had moved on to more grown-up hobbies, alongside my work and social life. But the discovery that I could build LEGO kits of some of my favourite Star Wars vehicles turned me into a kid once more. I didn’t go mad – grown-up life is expensive after all, and I couldn’t afford all of the kits. But I did buy a few, and this was my favourite.

Image: LEGO

I know that, for many fans, the X-Wing is the classic ship of the whole movie series, but I’ve always been more drawn to the Y-Wing. It’s the equivalent of the Spitfire versus Hurricane argument amongst history buffs – the X-Wing may have been more glamourous, but I like to think that it was the Y-Wing that did the hard work for the Rebels!

Toys for Grown-Ups

LEGO is now a global giant. It is one of the most recognized brand names in history, and it has entered into the mainstream. The image of LEGO as a toy only for children is now out of date, and it is now recognized as something that people of all ages can enjoy.

While the LEGO range still caters for younger builders, there are plenty of kits aimed at the more… er… mature customer. I particularly enjoy the Creator Expert range that includes everything from James Bond’s Aston Martin to a working roller coaster. However, my current favourite provides some zen-like calm in today’s hectic world – a life-size Bonsai tree.

Image: LEGO

Even now that I am on the precipice of my fiftieth year, LEGO still has the ability to bring a smile to my face. Some LEGO moments are shared with my kids, some are just for me, and it may be that my favourite kit has yet to be released. But that is the joy of this simple toy – your next LEGO memory is the one that you create. So, on International LEGO Day, remind yourself what you love about this amazing invention, and build something new. You never know, it might inspire more than you might think possible.

Spaceship!