LEGO: Better than Gold, Hurting Our Children

[gregpj]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2016/05/03/ben-fogle-modern-lego-is-harming-childrens-development/

Isn't the Daily Telegraph one of those less than quality newspapers? Either way, this tool, err.. TV Presenter and Adventurer.. says that modern day LEGO kits are hurting child development because they don't offer the same creative outlet LEGO once did! Someone needs to direct this man to Bricklink and have him order some bulk bricks so his kid can "be creative."

[marcandre]

It's not Legos responsibility to raise our children. This guy is a self righteous jack ass. 

[waydog]

just ridiculous.  an absolute poorly researched conclusion.  don't read a book, because the book won't let your mind wander and will make you focus on just a single plot, rather than let your mind run amok with ideas

[TheGallows]

Yes Ben Fogle is a complete tool.

[scuttfarkas]

Got to say, he's not the first voice to make these claims and IMO....there's a small amount of validity in it.  I think TLC even acknowledged as much by making one of the central themes of the movie the idea that we don't need to simply build what we're supposed to build.  

[gregpj]

6 minutes ago, scuttfarkas said:

Got to say, he's not the first voice to make these claims and IMO....there's a small amount of validity in it.  I think TLC even acknowledged as much by making one of the central themes of the movie the idea that we don't need to simply build what we're supposed to build.  

_IF_ your child is being stifled because LEGO is their only creative outlet, that is the fault of THE PARENT and not LEGO.

_IF_ your child is being stifled because THE PARENT forces the kids to only build sets as per the instructions, that is the fault of THE PARENT and not LEGO.

We have many sets the kids are not allowed to disassemble, but in return they have twice as many they can do what they please with and probable 10x as much "bulk" they can do anything with. I am constantly amazed at what their little imaginations build with all the specialty pieces that aren't plain 2x4 bricks.

[feed]

bah, clickbait and thinly veiled attack on government education policy.  Anyone that’s spend any amount of time buying/selling used Lego will know that “Kit-Based Building Models” become a big pile of loose bricks in an alarmingly short space of time.  Oh that and 10664.
 

Edited May 3, 2016 by feed

[MinifigW]

I know from experience. Just because you get instructions with a set doesn't mean that most kids actually use them.

 

Hell, I would say that 90% of the sets I got when I was younger where dismantled within the week so I could build something else.

 

This guy was desperate for a story all right. 

[c_rpg]

I didn't bother reading the article, but when I was a kid we didn't have things like the creator 3 in 1 series. Which imho, is a great way to show that you can make more than one thing with a set of bricks.

If you really want to go basic, you can still get creative building boxes and there's also pick-a-brick. So I really don't see what the problem is.

32 minutes ago, MinifigW said:

I know from experience. Just because you get instructions with a set doesn't mean that most kids actually use them.

 

Hell, I would say that 90% of the sets I got when I was younger where dismantled within the week so I could build something else.

 

This guy was desperate for a story all right. 

Exactly. It's more up to the kids to decide how they want to play with Lego. Some kids just build the set according to the instructions and play with it as is, others make their own modifications to an existing set and then there's kids that just have one or two boxes with everything mixed together and always build stuff from scratch.

My mom used to complain that I would start 'digging' in the Lego box at 7 in the morning on a sunday. Good times

 

[Robertx]

1 hour ago, gregpj said:

_IF_ your child is being stifled because LEGO is their only creative outlet, that is the fault of THE PARENT and not LEGO.

_IF_ your child is being stifled because THE PARENT forces the kids to only build sets as per the instructions, that is the fault of THE PARENT and not LEGO.

We have many sets the kids are not allowed to disassemble, but in return they have twice as many they can do what they please with and probable 10x as much "bulk" they can do anything with. I am constantly amazed at what their little imaginations build with all the specialty pieces that aren't plain 2x4 bricks.

Yeah. My son is always doing this. He "upgrades" existing stuff or makes his own ships and guns. 

[Robertx]

6 minutes ago, c_rpg said:

I didn't bother reading the article, but when I was a kid we didn't have things like the creator 3 in 1 series. Which imho, is a great way to show that you can make more than one thing with a set of bricks.

If you really want to go basic, you can still get creative building boxes and there's also pick-a-brick. So I really don't see what the problem is.

Exactly. It's more up to the kids to decide how they want to play with Lego. Some kids just build the set according to the instructions and play with it as is, others make their own modifications to an existing set and then there's kids that just have one or two boxes with everything mixed together and always build stuff from scratch.

My mom used to complain that I would start 'digging' in the Lego box at 7 in the morning on a sunday. Good times

 

When I was a kid it was probably what he was talking about. No instructions. No mini figures. Just basic blocks. Let your imagination run wild. Now there are so many more brick styles. My son usually follows directions. And sometimes, like in the case of the MF and EV I say leave them mostly as is. I let him change them up to a degree but not disassemble. But he has tons of other sets he is free to do as he pleases. 

[DenJ91]

I don't know what the article says and maybe i'll get to checking it out but I can say what my connection at a lego store said and that is thee fact they barely sell just the bricks themselves...pick a brick, and the buckets, the creative bundles or whatever they are called.  They hardly stock them anymore and it's usually only grandparents buying at xmas for the grandkids because they don't know what the licensed sets are so they get them just bricks.  

To a large degree I do think a majority of younger kids are no longer just playing with lego and designing and building with their minds.  I'm not saying kids don't because I'm sure lots of us on here who have kids encourage that.  However majority buy sets of super heroes and star wars etc and while they certainly learning from building in general, they do use the instructions and build per design and some of the personal creativity is lost.   

I still think Lego has tremendous mind developing properties and I love to see kids just create something.  Doesn't matter what or how bad it is, it's that they are using their minds to create and not just sitting playing video games.  

I grew up with less sets and just tubs and tubs of loose lego.  I would build anything I could think of.  I sadly think a lot of that is lost today.  Kids have less patience than ever and need instant gratification and that's what building a set from instructions to play with does.  

and yes I do agree, it's certainly not the fault of lego.  they provide all that is needed.  The parents can do a better job of offering their kids more loose lego to play with and be creative.  

 

*edit. 

went back and read the article.  It was short and very poor detail and repetitive but he isn't completely wrong but he blames the wrong team.  It's the parents, not Lego.  Lego knows what sells and what doesn't.  If parents aren't buying just blocks anymore then why would Lego make them a staple in stores.  Legoland and imagination zones are the perfect example of what creativity can achieve. Kids see so many amazing designs and Moc's.  Maybe they feel they could never do that and don't get the encouragement. Who knows.  

Bottom line is, if more people were still giving their kids lose lego bricks, kids would absolutely build.  Simple as that.  

Edited May 3, 2016 by DenJ91

[Robertx]

8 minutes ago, DenJ91 said:

I don't know what the article says and maybe i'll get to checking it out but I can say what my connection at a lego store said and that is thee fact they barely sell just the bricks themselves...pick a brick, and the buckets, the creative bundles or whatever they are called.  They hardly stock them anymore and it's usually only grandparents buying at xmas for the grandkids because they don't know what the licensed sets are so they get them just bricks.  

To a large degree I do think a majority of younger kids are no longer just playing with lego and designing and building with their minds.  I'm not saying kids don't because I'm sure lots of us on here who have kids encourage that.  However majority buy sets of super heroes and star wars etc and while they certainly learning from building in general, they do use the instructions and build per design and some of the personal creativity is lost.   

I still think Lego has tremendous mind developing properties and I love to see kids just create something.  Doesn't matter what or how bad it is, it's that they are using their minds to create and not just sitting playing video games.  

I grew up with less sets and just tubs and tubs of loose lego.  I would build anything I could think of.  I sadly think a lot of that is lost today.  Kids have less patience than ever and need instant gratification and that's what building a set from instructions to play with does.  

and yes I do agree, it's certainly not the fault of lego.  they provide all that is needed.  The parents can do a better job of offering their kids more loose lego to play with and be creative.  

Well. I agree the majority buy those sets. For me it's because it's hard to find something that isn't Star Wars or scooby doo etc. but we buy enough so he can build whatever he wants after having followed the instructions. Unless I instruct him otherwise. Lol

[Salimr]

I am not sure why the sets can't be used for creative creations? I have seen many alternative builds on this site and in my own living room. I like that the kit may be a starting point or have a theme or color a kid may like. We have got kits that don't meet our wants so we get multiple sets and combine them. Lego does not say we can not do that, and nothing on the box states it must be built exactly as instructions say so I'm not sure why it's Lego's fault? 

[thoroakenfelder]

My kids build the sets from instructions, display them for a bit and then just sort of smash them together. They later make their own stuff with what they have. I feel like the instructions teach technique. It should teach how to make a car instead of slapping wheels under a box. Sure, my girls are still at the box stage, but their boxes are utilizing a bit more finesse than a year ago.

[Phil B]

My son just yesterday expressed the desire to rebuild all his sets from instructions. Going to be fun there's at least 60 ....

[Poly 30286]

I read the article. I read the comments. There's a lot to discuss. 

I agree that behaviors of kids and parents have changed a lot over my lifetime. What I see of the typical first world family is busy parents and busy kids. Parents have to work too much to buy buy buy everything society says their family needs. Kids don't play together unless there is a screen... LEGO didn't break our kids. 

The part of this article that stood out to me was how children are going to school to learn how to do well on tests. I know I did take a standardized test here and there in grade school, but it was nothing like today. My kids spend a month or so prepping and then several days testing so that their schools can rank well. They all complain about it. I think it subtracts from the quality of their education, rather than enhancing it. To say that instruction-based LEGO kits embody this trend is ridiculous to me. Yes, there are instructions, but I'm the only builder in the house who believes in the sanctity of the set. 

This is not Brave New World sponsored by LEGO. Free builders still free build. A lot of kids just want a set for the minifigures. I like to follow the instructions, but I have 1000's of loose bricks that see much more action than my kids' sets do.

P.S. Maybe he's just trying to burst the bubble 

[ISO8T0]

Everyone here at BP would stand toe to toe with this twit and kindly inform him of the great benefits of LEGO as a toy AFTER you build the set in the constrained world that TLG has made for you. ;-)

I agree with @Poly 30286 in that I differ from my kids concerning "the sanctity of the set." I enjoy viewing the built sets on the shelf mainly b/c i don't have time to play with them because I have to work work work  so that I can buy buy buy LEGO. My kids spend about 5% of their time building from instructions and about 90% building from scratch. (for those keeping up with the math the other 5% is for cleaning)

If Ben had kids and LEGOs like most of us on here he wouldn't have written the article because he would have seen first hand how kids truly play with their LEGO sets.

It's obvious that just about everyone who has read the article disagrees with him. 

Edited May 6, 2016 by pstebbing

[Deanfjr]

Parents get choose what to buy for their children, I for one buy Lego in two different fashions for my boy:

1: Theme Sets

2: Classic Creative Building Brick Boxes

Our Theme Sets are meant to be his "play sets" we build them together. I encourage that they are meant for playing and not for taking apart, in that sense they are used to teach him to respect & appreciate his nicer toys. The Classic Creative Building Brick Box is exactly what it is suppose to be, he knows that if he wants to build & take things apart to use the creative bricks. I never discourage if he takes his play sets apart or modifies them, because it is Lego that's what kids are suppose to do. My boy is 3 almost 4 so I believe in teaching him at a young age to value, care, respect, & appreciate his Lego.

[Phil B]

All I teach my kids is to respect their LEGO and the individual pieces, so they don't get sucked up in vacuum cleaners and the like. I make sure boxes (for the larger sets) and instructions (for all sets) are kept in a safe place - they'll appreciate this when they get older. I don't care what they do with their LEGO - make playgrounds like my daughter does, or make wacky symmetrical, color-coded fantasy structures like my son does ... as long as they don't leave pieces everywhere I'm good.

[Will 4]

Hmm typical sensationalism from the telegraph.

[naf]

This guy acts like model kits are a recent thing.  The first brick I picked up in 1984 was in a kit, and it did little to stifle my creativity.  My Lego sets growing up were almost exclusively classic space, and the official model would get built and then taken apart days later so I could mix the parts in with what I already had to build some pretty epic spaceships (SPACESHIP! SPACESHIP!!!)

Lego offers something for everyone, if you're the kind of person who wants to build a model with instructions, you can buy that.  If you want to free build, you can still buy the classic bucket 'o bricks and do that, or buy off pick a brick.

I do think there is an issue with the parts mix included in many modern Lego sets.  I look at my classic space and there are a lot of useful bricks so that something significant can be built.  It seems like half the piece count in today's modern sets are technic pins and 1x1 studs.  I also wish they would go back to putting ideas for alternate builds on the back of the box like they did in the past.  Those were really useful for getting the creative juices flowing.

So yeah, this guy is a tool and knows nothing

[KShine]

11 minutes ago, naf said:

I also wish they would go back to putting ideas for alternate builds on the back of the box like they did in the past.  Those were really useful for getting the creative juices flowing.

I loved those alternate builds - that was always fun.

[Darth_Raichu]

1. The "writer" (very very loose definition of the word here) was just trying to get publicity by getting negative reactions out of people. ie, there is no such thing as negative publicity.

2. IMHO the writer already got more attention than he/she deserved, definitely more than the amount of "work" put into the article

 

19 minutes ago, naf said:

I also wish they would go back to putting ideas for alternate builds on the back of the box like they did in the past.

It was like building a big puzzle without instructions. LOVE IT!