LEGO is a popular toy maker of plastic building-block toys, that can be used to construction a variety of designs. In recent years, the company has been making recycled plastic for creating its toys.
Introduction to LEGO
‘Lego’ in Danish means “play well”!
The very first set of Lego toys were a set of red and white blocks that interlocked; today LEGO bricks are available in various colors and can be used to build a wide range of things.
Lego is among the most popular toys, and parents love it because they really don’t have to cajole their kids away from digital gadgets, as kids love building using these physical toys. Block building toys, such as Legos, help children develop fine motor and spatial skills, and also helps in STEM learning.
Related: Checkout more building and construction toys
About LEGO
LEGO is basically a Denmark based toy company having its headquarters in Billund, Denmark, and main offices in other cities across the world. Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, a Danish Carpenter, the company is known for its wide range of building toys, based on the iconic LEGO brick.
Website: www.LEGO.com
The earliest Lego sets (when it was introduced) consisted mainly of colorful, rectangular pieces. Over the next decade, Lego increased its offering to include doors, roofs, trees, road signs and more. The company started exporting to the United States, in the 1960s, and these sets had become quite elaborate by then, replicating things such as airplanes, boats, etc.
Today, Lego is among the biggest toy makers in the word.
“If considered a population, Lego minifigures would be the world’s largest group – with over 5 billion having been produced,” says a report by Bloomberg in 2015.
While Lego happens to be popular construction toys, parents are always concerned about filling the planet with more plastic.
Thankfully, Lego understand the challenge that it faces, and has been focusing on using recycled plastic for making its toys, and is making substantial investment in this area.
Lego has also found a way to create the iconic bricks from recycled plastic bottles, it has already replaced plastic (used in some parts) with a plant-based alternative.
Lego: Various Product Lines
Lego has several product lines; here are the more popular ones:
Lego Duplo: It is designed for younger children aged 1-5 years old. It features larger, easier-to-manage bricks and pieces that are perfect for little hands. The Duplo range has its own unique sets and themes that are distinct from other Lego product lines.
Lego Technic: A line of advanced LEGO sets that include intricate mechanical parts and functions. These are designed for older children and adults who enjoy building more complex constructions.
Lego Star Wars: This Lego line features sets from the Star Wars franchise. It includes famous characters from the movies such as Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Yoda.
Lego City: This line includes Lego sets that are themed around everyday life in a city. It includes constructions such as police stations, fire stations, and buildings.
Lego Ninjago: A line of Lego sets that features ninja-themed constructions and minifigures. The story centers around a group of ninja warriors battling evil Djinn factions.
Lego Friends: A line of Lego sets that is targeted towards girls and features a series of playsets that depict various hobbies and activities, such as riding horses or baking cupcakes.
Each product line has its own unique themes, characters, and features that are targeted towards children and adults with different preferences.
Best LEGO Toys: Reviews
LEGO DUPLO Classic Deluxe Brick Box (10914 )
LEGO DUPLO is a line of construction toys from LEGO that target the smaller children (aged 1.5 to 5 years old). DUPLO bricks are twice the size of traditional LEGO bricks, making them easier to handle and less likely to be swallowed by younger children.
LEGO DUPLO sets encourage children of a much younger age to start playing with Lego and develop their fine motor skills as well as creativity.
The LEGO DUPLO Classic Deluxe Brick Box includes colorful, easy-to-hold pieces for toddlers that encourages open-ended play and excite imaginations. It comes with a nice storage box to keep all the pieces together.
Use this Lego building set to ignite your toddlers curiosity through hands-on and playful learning, for building number skills, and for other developmental benefits. This toy set is a great way to introduce your toddler to creative building.
LEGO Ideas Table Football
The compact table game has 2 rods on each side so up to 4 people can play a game at once. It features 22 uniformed mini-figures wearing football kit, and 44 unique heads and wigs, making it easy to assemble and customize your team every time for a new match.
Though Lego says its suitable for ages 18+, you can definitely involve your kids to assemble the thing.
LEGO Camera looks like the Real Deal
Taiwan-based photographer and LEGO expert Helen Sham has used LEGO bricks to create a realistic looking Hasselblad 503CX film camera.
It may not be a real functional camera, but the inside and the outside of the camera is just as detailed as the real Hasselblad. Inside you’ll find a frame counter, film winder, and a spring-based shutter button with tactile sensation when firing the shutter.
You can even load a real film cartridge into this camera, and even frame a scene with the folding waist-level viewfinder.
Well, you might think that it would have taken a really long time for Helen to build this camera, but it took her only a couple of hours. Yes, its Lego after all!
Helen even plans to install a microlens that can actually take photos (digital images rather than film).
Lego Sets for Adults
Lego is also making toy sets aimed at stressed-out adults, providing them with something to wind down and get a feeling of mindfulness. Lot of adults are already spending some time with Lego at the end of a hectic day to disconnect and get a calming experience.
There only criteria is that they need clear instructions about what needs to be done with the bricks.
The iconic silhouette, now available in bricks. Get the LEGO adidas Originals Superstar here: https://t.co/VTlysS20f3 #adidasxLEGO #LEGO #adidas pic.twitter.com/dBZPwCwo3y
— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) July 6, 2021
How Lego Toys are Made: Videos
Let’s take a peek at how the Lego toys are made at its factories, and how the company uses technology to keep pace with the worldwide demand for their toys.
Useful Links
See Lego building sets on Amazon
Amazing app tells you what you can make from your Lego.
Funtoyworld is a family-managed website with me (Ben), and my wife doing most of the work. We are proud parents of two wonderful kids and love reviewing toys. We have a firm but friendly “democratic parenting” style and offer several practical suggestions backed by extensive research. Our own experience with raising two children prompted us to share our knowledge. Read more.
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