Comments on: Were you a LEGO girl?

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 03:29:02 +0000

I played with my brother’s lego. My parents didn’t really buy me any of my own, but I didn’t mind borrowing. I did have a soft spot for theBionicles, though, and I was very disappointed when he outgrew them before I did…

By: Rosellyne Thompson

Rosellyne Thompson — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:20:25 +0000

I didn’t have any construction toys when I was a little girl because my parents considered them to be too expensive; being an only child I amused myself by reading books from the library and by spending a lot of time drawing quite intricate buildings/town layouts and making paper prototypes of products I’d like to build. At school I’d try to show interest and get involved with the activities the boys were doing but they would insist that it was ‘not for girls’ and chase me away. The highlight of my childhood days was visiting my uncle and aunt, when I’d sneak upstairs to play with my cousins’ Meccano and LEGO kits and their Amiga computers. In the latter years of primary school, along with other children seen to have an interest and aptitude for science and mathematics, I was given the opportunity to work in groups to build and program objects like automated greenhouses, light-controlled cars and vending machines using LEGO Dacta, which was my first real introduction to programming (my parents finally gave in and bought me a computer when I was 14).

I now own a large stash of K’Nex, LEGO, Meccano and Geomag construction kits, both because I still find them amusing to play with as an adult and because I see them as an heirloom in a way; I can’t bear the thought of not being able to provide my child or a young relative of mine with something so enriching and fun.

By: Leigh Honeywell

Leigh Honeywell — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 04:50:18 +0000

OH OH a link: if you have access to a 3D printer such as a MakerBot, here are plans to print your own lego-compatible bricks:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:591

awesomepants!

By: Mackenzie

Mackenzie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:25:19 +0000

Plastic? I thought Erector Sets were usually metal, and K’Nex were plastic.

My brother, sister, and I shared a big box of LEGOs when we were kids. We even had a LEGO table with a basket hanging down the middle for the pieces. The surface had LEGO bumps so you could build right on it.

We also had a K’Nex class in 6th grade where we’d build stuff out of K’Nex. K’Nex were cool because they could have motors and pulleys and things.

By: Leigh Honeywell

Leigh Honeywell — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:19:12 +0000

I had Lego and Mega Blocks. They never quite fit together. This made me very sad :(

By: Deb

Deb — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:42:18 +0000

I had Legos and then a bit later something called an Erector Set (seriously.) The Erector Set was a bunch of plastic girders, panels, nuts, bolts, wheels, hinges, etc. You also got a set of plastic wrenches with which to assemble everything from a small (sadly, non-functional) helicopter to a baby stroller. Later after acquiring some of the extremely crappy stuff one does in college, I sort of wished I could have the Erector Set back.

By: Yvi

Yvi — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:15:59 +0000

Oh, and as for sharing it, I had an older sister. We shared the Lego. And when I was too old, it got put in the attic and a few years ago, my mother gave it to her godson.

By: Yvi

Yvi — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:13:40 +0000

I had two full boxes of Lego. I also had one full box of Barbie stuff. I loved the Lego much more and much longer. I have lots of fond memories of building airplanes, houses, and other things.

Maybe I should buy some now, but it’s pretty expensive and most of what’s being sold now seems too ‘easy’ – it seems to have larger and less parts than what I had as a kid.

By: Juliet Kemp

Juliet Kemp — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:22:26 +0000

I had Lego, and loved it (I have particularly fond memories of building the Lego castle with my father, moving it onto the dining-room table every evening after dinner to do another few bits).

I also had Meccano, which I think I probably loved even more – partly because I found it for myself (picked up a tiny pocket-kit at a bring & buy sale, and convinced my parents to get me a bigger set). I think Meccano in particular is awesome for promoting practical engineering skills. I’m not an engineer by education or profession, but I have enough of a handle on basic construction and how to handle screws and things that I’m able to do my own bike maintenance* and basic carpentry and so on. I did used to play around with wood as a kid, as well, and I had a few Airfix kits.

* I think pretty much anyone can learn to do basic bike maintenance, but my observation is that some adults already have some of the really basic technical skills/awareness, and some have to learn them.

By: Azz

Azz — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:46:49 +0000

We had Lego and Duplo, but our favorite was Construx. I felt the single-direction nature of Lego keenly, so I did not grow as attached to them as I might have otherwise.

My sister and I shared most of our toys; both the Legos and the Construx were in the common pool. There was occasionally friction as one of us used scarce resources, but we generally cooperated: working in different mediums, working on the same project, working on disparate parts of the same project, or working on smaller separate projects at the same time.

My father brought home parts of an Erector Set later on; I saw how useful it was, but found it unpleasant to touch, perhaps because of the metal sensitivities I discovered later.

At one point, I made a bedside organizer from Legos. It had a place for my glasses, my cup, and a few other things.