Lego bricks are one of those toys that just don't go out of style. A lot of us parents grew up playing with Lego and may now have Lego-obsessed kids. For any of us with little ones who just can't get enough of the toy, we've compiled a list of hacks to get the most out of the Lego-building experience. The company has a bunch of free experiences and activities that will delight our kiddos, and there are even ways we can vote on future sets and actually have an impact on what's hitting store shelves.
Lego isn't just for kids, either. The company has long attracted collectors of all ages, so we can build right alongside our little ones. The toy already encourages imagination and creativity, and here are 17 ways to take that to the next level.
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Easy Clean-Up
One of the most frustrating parts of playing with Lego bricks is having them all over the floor to be stepped on. To combat that, Amazon sells storage bins that double as play mats. Kids can dump all the Lego bricks out onto the mat — and when it's time to clean up, the mat can be poured directly into the attached bin.
Simple Storage
For more aesthetic Lego storage, Ikea sells plastic containers that come with Lego-compatible lids that provide a place for bricks to be attached. That way kids can display some of their favorite creations on top of the boxes while keeping all of the miscellaneous pieces tucked inside.
Start Earning Points
It's free to become a Lego Insider, and doing so helps earn discounts and exclusive sets. Parents can create an account on Lego.com (it's for people 18 and older), and purchases made on the site earn points that can be traded in for coupons or small free sets. Lego Insiders also often get early access to new sets or exclusive gifts with their purchases.
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Fun Challenges
People 16 and older can create accounts on Lego's official sister site, Lego Ideas. That's where the company will often run challenges and activities to inspire builders to get creative with their bricks. It's also where we can vote on fan-created builds, some of which will eventually get made into actual Lego sets.
Vote on New Sets
In addition to voting for potential sets on Lego Ideas, Lego partnered with Bricklink on its designer program. Every few months, several fan-built and fan-voted sets get put into Lego production. Parents can sign up (since it's 18+) to vote on or buy sets their kids would enjoy. Some series two sets are still available for purchase, and the next round of fan-voted sets will be revealed in August.
Free Magazine
Lego has a free children's magazine that's published and sent out five times a year. It's written for children ages 5 to 9 and contains posters, activities, comics, and more. Subscribe now on the Lego website to get the September issue.
Lego Library
Lego sets, especially the larger ones, can be on the more expensive end. But for $24.99 per month, parents can sign up for the Brick Library. They can rent a set for their kids to build, and once they're done playing with the set, they can just send it back for a new one. This is probably better for older kids, who are less likely to lose pieces.
Helpful App
When kids run out of ideas for things to build, pull up the Brickit app. Take a photo of the child's Lego collection, and the app will scan the pieces and suggest things that can be made with them. Parents love the app, and it has 4.6 stars from more than 11,000 reviews.
Lego on the Go
TikToker Kelsi Savage created a Lego binder so her son could bring the toy on the go. Kelsi glued a Lego baseplate to the binder cover and put pieces in pencil binder pouches so the whole thing could be taken with her son. It would be a fun toy for a road trip or plane flight.
Get a Passport
Each Lego store has a unique stamp for kids to collect when they visit. For the first trip, ask the store employee for the actual paper passport. Whenever the child visits a Lego store in a new location, bring the passport to collect a new stamp.
Fun Display
Using Ikea peg boards, TikToker @simply.aligned.home built a Lego wall display for her son. She glued some smaller bricks to the board so her son could attach his Lego car collection, and she used hooks to hang some of his bigger builds. It saves space and doubles as decor.
DIY Work Station
In a TikTok video, @jessliving_life built a Lego table for her kids to use while playing with the bricks. All it took was an inexpensive Ikea table and a few baseplates. She glued the baseplates to the table top and attached some under-table storage drawers to create a workspace. The bonus is that it keeps Lego bricks off the floor.
Lego MOCs
MOC stands for "my own creation," aka building something out of Lego other than an official set. The website Rebrickable has a tons of MOC ideas to inspire young builders. Kids can type in the identification number of sets they already own to see if anyone has created alternate builds for which they can reuse the pieces.
Make a Minifig
Children can use the official Lego Minifigure Factory online to create a custom minifig that looks like themselves. Everything from the face to the shirt printing to the accessories are customizable. It costs $11.99 to get it made and mailed out.
Duplo Compatible
Don't donate or sell those old Duplo blocks when the little ones start to transition into Lego. Most of the larger Duplo bricks are actually still compatible with the smaller Lego pieces, according to the Lego website. Kids can use Duplo to build foundations for larger scale builds because the bigger bricks make the process faster.
Check out YouTube
For even more inspiration, there are many Lego vloggers on YouTube creating whole cities with their Lego sets. Bricksie is one of the most popular, as he's a family friendly YouTuber (and father of twins) who's turning a whole warehouse into a giant Lego display. Even if some of his builds are for older kids, just watching what he creates will entertain little ones (and parents too).
Legoland Discovery Center
Described as "the ultimate indoor Lego playground," there are several Legoland Discovery Center locations throughout the United States and around the world. They're basically mini theme parks with activities, giant sculptures, and even rides for kids to experience. In addition, tickets to these centers can be earned with Lego Insider points.
