Creative Kidstuff

LEGO fun!

July 9, 2008 on 4:39 pm | In Uncategorized |

After a year hiatus, the LEGO Event is returning to Creative Kidstuff on Saturday, August 2! Many Creative Kidstuff employees look back on previous years fondly, and remember LEGO creations from very simple designs to elaborate scenes constructed entirely of LEGO bricks! The event is for ages 2 to adult, and is a great way for families to have fun together. One great tip: combine DUPLO and LEGO bricks to make a masterpiece! Register for the event at your local Creative Kidstuff by July 23.

Even though I grew up playing with LEGO toys (and admittedly still play with them now), I knew next to nothing about them! I realize this may be a common trend for other LEGO fans out there, so I present a brief history of LEGO:

The first LEGO toys were developed in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund, Denmark. However, they weren’t called LEGO toys until 1934. The word LEGO is from the Danish phrase “leg godt” which means “play well.” One Latin translation means “I put together.”

The first LEGO blocks were built in 1949 and called “Automatic Building Blocks.” The design was an improvement over a British wood block design. Since LEGO bricks were made of plastic, they could lock into place but still pull apart easily. The traditional LEGO blocks weren’t patented until January 28, 1958. So 2008 is the 50-year anniversary of LEGO blocks! Would you believe the bricks created in 1958 are compatible with bricks manufactured today? It’s true!

Random and fun LEGO facts:
*There is no such word as “Lego’s.” LEGO is an adjective, and the product should be referred to as LEGO bricks or LEGO toys, not Lego’s. The word LEGO should also always be written in all uppercase letters.
*Only 18 bricks out of every one million do not meet the quality standards. This really proves the LEGO Company motto: “only the best is good enough.”
*Only 1% of plastic waste goes unrecycled.
*The LEGO molds are so top-secret that worn-out molds are encased in the foundations of buildings to prevent their falling into competitors’ hands.
*The LEGO Company produces 20 billion bricks per year, at an average rate of 600 bricks per second!
*If all the LEGO bricks in the world were evenly distributed, everyone in the world would have 62 bricks.
*Children worldwide play with LEGO toys for a combined 5 billion hours per year.

Best of luck to all the LEGO builders participating in the LEGO Event!