Why Every Adult Should Play With LEGO

This year the LEGO brick turns 60. That's six decades of building and fun, but it's not just kids stuff.

If you are like me there is a good chance you played with LEGO as a kid, and like me, you probably put your toys away at some stage. Fast forward a few years and I came across the LEGO Super Heroes set Arkham Asylum Breakout in a store. What’s the harm I thought? Now three years later I am all in again, only this time I can buy my own LEGO sets.

I’m not alone either, these plastic bricks have been around for almost 60 years but in recent years they have been seeing a resurgence of enthusiasm from children and nostalgic adults alike. It’s everywhere, now you can find LEGO TV shows, Movies, Games, robots, and of course stores. Don’t let those age suggestions on the boxes fool you though I’ll give you five excellent reasons why you should pick up a box.

You’ll Be More Organized

The first thing LEGO teaches you is the value of being organized. It is not until you are faced with 2000 bricks in different shades of grey that you can really appreciate having a plan. Sure LEGO does some of the heavy lifting by sorting your build into numbered bags but even so, there are dozens of different pieces in each bag and it is easy to get lost in the mess.

Take my soon to be Sheild Helicarrier, here, which is made up of almost 3000 pieces.

You could go and throw them all into a pile and start building but you’ll find that causes some frustrations. It is sort of like playing three dimensional Where’s Waldo, some parts are easier to pick out but others will drive you insane (Unless you have an eagle-eyed sister at the ready).

Learning to group your parts, I’d point out that the instructions actually suggest this up front, but being a stubborn human it is really a lesson that is most effectively learned through experience. This organization is even more useful when it comes to the spare parts and extra bricks you collect over time. Finding a system is valuable, whether that is by colour, size, class or any system that makes sense to your brain.

Watching The Something Take Form is Incredibly Satisfying

When you open up your bags of LEGO bricks and pour them out onto your tabletop it is hard to see how will this make for anything that resembles what is on the box. Often times even as I am building it, watching the components form it seems a bit of a stretch that these little plastic bricks will make a convincing Jet or building.

Then there comes a moment when it goes from an irregular lump of bricks to something you recognize. The pieces come together; the more you place the more it makes sense and after a while you see your brick puzzle take form. It is unbelievably satisfying going from a pile of loose bricks to something cool. You did that, you built it up from nothing.

Learn to See things Differently

There are instructions and if you follow them you get some really cool things but the really great thing about LEGO is not following the instructions is equally rewarding. The more you build the more you learn about the pieces and how even the most boring piece has served a variety of functions. Take the detail of the Ninjago City. It is packed with detail but much of that detail comes from bricks repurposed to create new architectural features.

For LEGO designers, no brick can't find new function. "Roof tiles” are now used in all aspect of construction from textured environments to creating smoother lines on structures. Once you see how dynamic a piece can be you begin to experiment your self. How can you make the most of each little part or if you are missing parts you learn how to make substitutions. You can learn how to augment your builds or build something from the ground up with parts you never thought you’d use. Using bricks in new ways and in new contexts will help you see new potential even in something as simple as a single stud.

Flex Your Creative Muscles

LEGO encourages you to think outside the box and find new ways to use what you have. Even if you don’t count yourself among the Master Builders, LEGO encourages the imagination. What is your vision for your superheroes or LEGO town? Sometimes it is just enough to be proud of your creation, realize your vision and put it on display. Other times you want to get a little more creative, recreate your favourite scenes from a movie or make a little fun of them. There is really no wrong way to play or build for that matter.

Maybe, with a little inspiration, you can rework one of LEGO’s predefined sets to make it more your own. LEGO designers have created a lot of great sets over the years and building them is fun but following the instructions is far from mandatory. These sets can be anything you want them to be with a little creative thinking. Take for example Instagram user ShadowKane who reimagined the Mystery Machine as a battle mech.

If you are really looking to get creative grab your self a pile of bricks and start putting them together. You can build whatever you can imagine from scratch but sometimes you will find you don’t have the bricks you need for what you had in mind. You may not have enough of one colour or you’re missing a wheel.

That is when the real fun begins; you begin to get creative with your parts. How can you rework what you have and what solutions can you come up with? What this really means though is you are forced to let go of your prior preconceptions on what constitutes a race car, or airplane or anything for that matter.

Decompress

The last reason you should pick some bricks up is that ultimately, it is very relaxing. Some people like to read before bed; for me, nothing is more relaxing than building. Building with LEGO helps take your mind off the day; There is no stress, just the satisfying feeling of snapping pieces together and watching something you’ve made come together. It is almost therapeutic. You don’t have to think you just have to play.