Gotta Love Lego
I am proud to admit that I am one of the few, the proud, the 40-something Lego builder. Okay, there are more than a few adults that enjoy this toy. Google the phrase Lego builder clubs and you'll see what I mean. I even keep a couple small sets - X-Pods - at work. I don't have any of the newer series (one pictured at right) but I'll probably pick them up when I do my Christmas shopping.
Lego bricks are not only entertaining, but they stimulate thinking and creativity. One of the reasons that I'm a spatial thinker today is that I started with this toy some 30+ years ago. Studies (and I haven't looked at any lately) have shown that exposure to building toys during early periods of cognitive development is quite beneficial. Maybe that is why I can fairly well visualize form and process relationships. So thank goodness my friend's children are now old enough to have Lego bricks. Now I can help them develop cognitively and have some fun playing with even more toys when I visit.
Recently I splurged and picked up Set 4888, "Ocean Odyssey." I fought and hesitated and procrastinated buying this. The money isn't really in the budget and my Star Wars Lego models have just been sitting around feeling ignored. But this looked so cool! And all the models shown in the picture at left can be built at once. Not bad for thirty bucks. Yes, and I have a thing for yellow. It has been a little bit of a depressing experience, however, as I keep coming across a clever bit of engineering now and then that I probably never would have thought up on my own. Still, it's been fun and I look forward to working through all of the models that have building instructions so I can get to my own creations.
Most of my building has focused on space exploration as a theme so it's time I broke out of that mold. I have a couple other non-space sets and lately the idea of putting together a town with a train and seaport -- and leaving it up -- has floated around my mind. Here's the start on the seaport part: Set 7045, "Hovercraft Hideout." It was sitting in the closet of my spare room when I went to put away the Star Wars sets so I could have room for the new set. Not sure when I bought it, but I remember having fun with it. Next three day weekend I'm getting them all out. Who needs to clean and do laundry?
