Is Your Kid Lego Obsessed? No Worries!

While the little bricks hurt when you step on them barefoot, the are a beneficial toy for your kids to build with, both for educational and entertainment purposes. Are your kids obsessed with this STEM activity? Immerse them in building at Legoland's new hotel in Florida.

My 5-year-old son has co-opted an entire room for his Legos, and I am okay with that. He played with his mega blocks and Duplo sets when he was younger, but the bricks often languished in the corner of his room in favor of trucks and puzzles and balls. Two sets that were given to him by friends at his last birthday party, though, sparked a renewed interest that has since become insatiable.

What I love about his approach to Lego play is that he consciously separates his bricks into “imaginary play Legos” and “sets,” which require focus and following instructions. Depending upon his mood, he tackles one or the other.

I am a big advocate of the value of play, and I don’t subscribe to the notion that every plaything must be educational. But it sure is fortuitous when one toy is both undeniably fun (to the point of being addictive) and proven to be educationally valuable across every age and developmental stage. As Bill Nye “The Science Guy” told NYMetroParents recently: “Who doesn’t love Lego? There are 62 Lego bricks for every man, woman, and child on Earth! That’s pretty cool. That’s a lot of Lego.”

Recent studies suggest that adolescents who still engage in construction play score higher on tests of spatial reasoning and math. Research also shows that children who begin playing with blocks early and continue through their young elementary years perform better on standardized tests even through middle school.

Oh, and for what it’s worth: All blocks and building toys get my (and most educators’) vote. From classic Tinker Toys to GoldieBlox (fabulous construction toys geared toward girls), from Magna Tiles to wooden block shapes, these toys are, in fact, building blocks of learning.

©2015 Chip Litherland Photography Inc.

Building with Legos is not only fun, it increases hand-eye coordination, among other benefits.

Your Kid: Under Construction

Building with blocks such as Legos:

When kids play together with Legos—think play dates, sibling sharing, or Lego clubs—the benefits are even greater:

You can reap rewards, too:

©2015 Chip Litherland Photography Inc.

The Legoland Hotel, which celebrated its grand opening in May, is located in Winter Haven, FL, 45 minutes from the Orlando theme parks or downtown Tampa.

Lego Fun Facts

Beyond the Bricks

©2015 Chip Litherland Photography Inc.

A “kingdom”-themed room at Florida’s new Legoland Hotel

That #Lego time…

…when you got up at 1am to go to the bathroom, stepped on the tiniest Lego ever, and screamed like you were bit by a lion. #$%^&*

…when you laughed uncontrollably when your 3-year-old stepped on two stray Legos #payback #shameface

…when you actually considered dropping $150+ for a Lego set with no birthday, holiday, or excuse-for-a-gift in sight, because you knew it would give you at least 1 hour of alone time

…when you built an entire brick city with your kids and forgot all about cooking dinner

…when you swelled with pride over your child’s robotic Lego vehicle she engineered for the science fair (even though you hadn’t the slightest idea how she made it!)

…when you realized your Pinterest board is dominated by your kids’ Lego creations instead of home-decorating pins—and weren’t at all embarrassed

Explore More Lego

Main photo by PhotoOp NYC; clothing courtesy Appaman