photo by undronotto

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with Legos.

Just think about it.

Two little Lego bricks (like the 4×4 squares in the photo above), when pushed together (the bottom of one to the top of the other) will stick together. Yet can be pulled apart. Yet can be stuck together. Again. And again.

Amazing.

What I love about Legos:

• They’re colorful and tactile – they appeal to the senses, as most toys do.
• They’re versatile – Once you’re done building the “prescribed” model, you’re free to tear it apart and build something else, and their design allows a multitude of designs.
• It teaches fine motor skills to young kids – I watched my younger boy struggle with it when he was 4-5. Now at age 6, he has no trouble building sets labeled for 8-12 year olds. (Ironically, they have larger “Mega Bloks” for preschool aged kids).
• They spur the imagination – CHiPs was one of my childhood favorites, and I built my own lego motorcycle to imagine my own chase scenes.
• Legos will last – They toy has stood the test of time, and today’s blocks are totally compatible with yesterday’s and tomorrow’s models.
• I know they appeal to boys, but I would say they are certainly girl-friendly – I’d be curious to hear my female readers’ experience with Legos.

Lego was not the first “erector” type toy but its success has spawned a number of copy-cats, including much “slicker”, “cooler” toys.

However, Legos still sits atop of my all-time favorite toys list.