Even with an endless amount of flashy new toys emerging every year, it’s incredible just how popular Lego remains – and how those humble blocks have the unbelievable ability to keep kids entertained for hours.
One of the most treasured toys of all time, there are plenty of good reasons for Lego’s enduring popularity.
Not only does it appeal to a wide range of ages and all genders, but playing with Lego blocks is associated with all kinds of cognitive growth in kids, from developing fine motor skills to encouraging problem-solving and creative thinking.
Plus, it’s a toy that can get the whole family involved.
Whether you’re a Lego fan from way back or you’re thinking of buying it for the first time, here’s why Lego has been a family favourite for decades.
Lego Encourages Creative Thinking
Lego firmly falls into the category of open-ended play, and for this reason, it’s a great tool for encouraging creative thinking in kids.
Unlike close-ended toys, which have a clear beginning and end (like a puzzle), open-ended toys have no specific objective and no right or wrong way to play with them.
This kind of play can keep kids amused for hours and encourages them to use their imagination when it comes to deciding how and what they will build – the perfect way to nurture a young, creative mind.
Lego Hones Fine Motor Skills and Hand-Eye Coordination
It takes a certain level of dexterity to connect Lego blocks, making it a great playtime activity for helping kids develop their fine motor skills and the muscles in their hands.
The best part about these building blocks is that they come in all different levels of complexity, meaning as your child develops you can find Lego that continues to challenge and help them grow.
As a toddler, they can start out with larger blocks, like Lego Duplo (which is several times the size of regular Lego), before moving on to smaller, more complex blocks as they get older.
For similar reasons, Lego is a great tool for increasing hand-eye coordination in children.
Working with this toy requires the hands and eyes to work in conjunction and helps develop bilateral integration (where both sides of the body work together).
Lego Develops Problem-Solving and Planning Abilities
Playing with Lego isn’t always straightforward.
It takes some serious problem-solving when it comes to working out how certain pieces fit together or rescuing unstable Lego structures.
When setting out to build a larger structure, careful planning is required to achieve the vision.
If things start to go off course, problem-solving skills are once again required to get things back on track.
This is essentially teaching kids early engineering skills, which can be developed as they get older and experiment with more complex Lego – all the way to something like Lego Technic, which is heavily focused on intricate engineering skills.
Lego is Great for Communication Skills and Emotional Growth
You might not expect it, but Lego is actually a great tool for developing social skills when playing with other kids.
By playing together, kids learn how to work collaboratively, developing important skills like being patient, taking turns and learning to share.
Through the process of building something together, kids will also learn how to share their opinions and consider those of others, all of which are great for developing their communication skills and ability to work as part of a team.
Lego is also great for encouraging pretend play, where kids can chat and create their own scenarios.
Being able to experiment with acting out the emotional and social roles of real life in a safe and healthy way is incredibly important for emotional growth.
The Whole Family Can Get Involved
Another reason why Lego is so universally loved is that it can be a whole family affair.
The LEGO ‘Play Well Report’ found that over 95% of parents thought that playing together as a family improved wellbeing, built stronger bonds and made the whole family happier.
On top of that, 85% of parents specifically mentioned Lego and claimed to notice their family was happier when playing with Lego blocks.
These days there is so much fun, themed Lego – from Harry Potter to Star Wars and Frozen – making it more exciting than ever to play with the iconic blocks and the perfect activity for getting everyone involved.
From encouraging important cognitive and emotional development in kids to promoting meaningful social interaction, there is so much to love about this little building block and it’s easy to see why Lego has stood the test of time and remained a family favourite for so long.
More LEGO fun for kids:
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